Beneath the Earth
by appa-appa-away
Summary: Sequel to Behind the Lies. The war is over and Zuko and Katara are about to get married. Everything is perfect. But it can never stay that way until the world is rid of evil. They never got rid of Admiral Shang. What damage will he do to the world now?
1. Arrangements

**Ahoy-hoy! Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the second installment of the Beloved Saga – Beneath the Earth. Ok, so I promised myself I wouldn't air the first chapter until I'd finished editing and reposting Behind the Lies, and at the moment I'm editing chapter 29, but I'm just too impatient! This has been sitting on my computer, waiting for some attention for about three months now… so here you go, please, please, please review and I hope you all enjoy it! ^_^**

**

* * *

**

**1. Arrangements**

Zuko was absolutely sure he's life had just taken a new leaf. In a week's time, he was going to be marrying Katara. Everything was perfect and for once, things were going to plan… or so it seemed.

Azula felt like she could have died if she weren't already a spirit. She felt so sorry for her brother. For the past few months, he had been so excited that he was finally going to marry Katara. It was so horrible to know that something was going to go terribly wrong.

The Fire Princess, Moon Spirit and Ursa all watched as Long Feng had yet another meeting with Admiral Shang.

"The plan is perfect. All we need to do now in order to kidnap the Avatar is get someone to go in there and cause a diversion. Then, while everyone is occupied with the drama, the kidnapper will kidnap him and be gone before anyone notices," Long Feng thought out loud. "The question is; who will be the one to go in and actually kidnap the Avatar without being caught?"

"Was there anyone you had in mind?" Shang asked and Azula glared at him from over the rim of the well that showed her the mortal world.

"I don't know. I would recommend one of us does it. The trouble is, although it is a brilliant plan, both of us are already not welcome among the Avatar and his friends, so we would be spotted out before we could attack," Long Feng frowned; every other evil scheme he had come up with had been planned out perfectly and carried out flawlessly – aside from that one time he had tried to double cross the spirit woman who was secretly watching over them – so why, at the time where it was most vital for him to know what to do, did things have to get so hard?

"That is a problem indeed. But, might I suggest, that perhaps we sent someone else in to do the work for us?" Shang enquired.

"Nonsense! The Dai Li are too capable of betraying me. They've already done it once and I won't let it happen again. I'll keep them as my servants, but we need someone else to actually do this," he informed the Admiral, sceptically.

"Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of get one of the Avatar's friends to kidnap him." Shang looked intently at his hands, his expression bored, if not completely emotionless.

"What's he up to now?!" Azula spat and Yue put a hand on her shoulder to calm her, as they stared into the well.

"Nothing good," her mother told her flatly.

Long Feng stared at him curiously for a moment, but Shang would not continue until he was prompted to.

"What do you mean by that, Admiral Shang?"

Shang smirked, "We could capture one of them. But, by one of _them_, I simply mean someone the Avatar and his close friends know, but not someone that they have a particularly strong connection with. Your Dai Li agents could hypnotize whoever we choose and then we send him in to do the job. It will keep you and me safe and he will most likely not get caught, because they don't know them well enough to constantly be near them, but they won't be suspicious of them because they already know him a little."

Long Feng looked at the man for a moment, the plot running itself through his head a few times.

Finally he spoke, "I actually quite like that plan. The only question remaining is; who are we going to pick to go in and attack?"

Once again, Shang found himself smirking, "You see, Long Feng, a number of the members from the city of the Southern Water Tribe are heading the Imperial City as we speak to witness the wedding of Fire Lord Zuko to one of their waterbenders. She is actually a friend of the Avatar's as well, her name, I believe, is Katara. And also, her brother is getting married to a Kyoshi Warrior. Last I heard, the plan was that they were going to have a double wedding in a week's time."

Long Feng listened intently, knowing that his new friend was about to give him some valuable information to help with their plan.

"My idea is that we kidnap one of the Water Tribesmen before they can get off the ship. We'll quickly hypnotize them and then send them on their way to do our bidding. How does that sound to you?"

Yue and Azula gasped in disgust.

Long Feng smiled evilly, "Congratulations, Shang, you have come up with a perfect plan. Your knowledge has blessed us with an excellent opportunity. Now, the next phase of the plan must be decided. It would probably be wise if we told our captive how to make a diversion. What do you suggest we do?"

The Admiral smiled a replica of Long Feng's and chuckled lightly, "Why, can you not think of something for yourself?"

Long Feng laughed, "I just thought that if you had planned that far already, maybe you had planned further. It would be necessary for a change of plans if I had a better idea than you, but it would be a shame for your idea to go to waste."

"So, you do have something then?" Shang probed.

"Yes. If Fire Lord Zuko and Katara are getting married, then the main focus would be on them. The Kyoshi Warrior and the Water Tribe boy would also be considerable, but as Zuko is the Fire Lord, it would affect more people if we use his relationship," the leader of the Dai Li explained.

"What did you have in mind for them?" Shang asked, now his turn to be curious.

Long Feng didn't answer straight away. He smiled evilly before he revealed his plan.

Azula gasped, "This is terrible!"

"Oh, poor Zuko. Poor Katara," Yue whispered as they listened to the plan.

Ursa glared down at the two despicable men in silence.

"This isn't good…"

* * *

"Katara!" Zuko laughed as he jumped into the room as she examined herself in the mirror. "You look gorgeous!"

The waterbender laughed sweetly as her fiancé bounded to stand in front of her. She launched herself forward to fall into his embrace and she gave a small scream of delighted shock as his hands took her waist and he lifted her into the air.

"Zuko, put me down!" she laughed.

He chuckled as he lowered her back to the ground. Instead, he pulled her towards him and kissed her neck playfully. She giggled as she pushed him off her and stood back.

"You look gorgeous," he told her again.

"Thanks," she smiled, as she looked back to the mirror to take another look at herself in her wedding dress. The garment curved gently with the rest of her body and draped to the floor. It was white with a blue top half. There was a red ribbon tied around her waist and the symbol of a curved moon overlapping a sun was imprinted on the back of her white veil.

Zuko played with a lock of her loose, chocolate brown hair.

"I love you," he reminded her and she felt her heart flutter.

"I love you too," she whispered, as she drew back towards him and draped her arms over his shoulders. She gently pressed her soft lips to his and his hands took her waist. There were some footsteps from the doorway and a figure walked into the room.

"Katara, I found that mascara that you wanted to…" Mai stopped short as she looked up to see the happy couple in lip lock. They quickly broke apart and stepped back from each other. "Uh… sorry, I'll knock next time… I'll… um…" She edged towards the door again, trying to hide her mortification for interrupting.

"No, no, come in Mai. Sorry, we should have shut the door before we did that," Katara apologized.

The girl stood in the doorway bighting her bottom lip. It wasn't just the fact that she was upset for accidentally barging into the room; she still found it hard to see Zuko with another girl. Seeming to feel her pain, Zuko tried to change the subject.

"So, uh… Mai, what's this about mascara?" he asked.

_Gr__eat, now I'm talking about makeup. I've definitely been hanging around girls for too long!_

"Oh… uh…" she stumbled, trying to get back to her original task.

"Oh, I asked her if I could borrow some mascara, just to see what it looked like on me," Katara dismissed the question with a nervous laugh.

"Yea, here." Mai held out the bottle of mascara and Katara took it with a thank you.

She turned back to the mirror and applied some of the makeup to her top eyelashes.

"I'd only apply it to the top if I were you… unless you want to look like me," Mai laughed as she touched the skin at the corner of her eye, making sure her dark makeup hadn't trailed there. "But, then there was also the first thing I said. You look great without mascara."

Katara smiled at Mai through the mirror and examined her eyes.

"So, what did you get up to today, Mai?" Zuko asked.

"Not much. I've been looking for that mascara all morning. Katara asked me if I had any last night and I told her I'd bring her my old one in the morning and I couldn't find it. But it was in by bag. I didn't think of that till the last moment, when I'd already decided to just give her my new one. So I just swapped them and put the new one in my bag. I don't use that brand anymore," Mai told him simply.

"You know, Mai, I think you're right. I don't need the mascara. Actually, I think I prefer it without it," Katara sighed. "Thanks anyways." She handed the bottle back to Mai and the girl quickly left.

"Well, I think you're beautiful no matter what you're wearing," Zuko turned back to his future wife after his ex girlfriend had disappeared.

"Zuko, you think I look good when I'm not wearing _anything_!" Katara laughed.

"I know. That's when you look the best," he teased as he pulled her up to him again and stated fingering at the ties at the back of the dress that kept it together. Zuko gently kissed her neck again as he untied the back of the dress and she tilted her head back a little.

"Um… you two do know I'm here, right?" Toph asked as she leaned against the frame of the door.

"Toph! Haven't you ever heard of knocking?!" Zuko asked in exasperation.

"Oh, leave her alone," Katara nudged him in the ribs.

Toph came into the room and sat on the bed, "What's up? Talk to me, I'm bored."

"I was just trying on my new wedding dress!" Katara informed her as she twirled around in front of Zuko.

He looked at her with soft eyes as he took in her beauty. "I still think you look better when you're not wearing anything," he smirked cheekily.

"Well, I think you look great!" Toph joked.

Zuko and Katara laughed as Sokka and Suki walked in the door.

"Hey, guys!" the other bride greeted. The Kyoshi Warrior was also wearing her wedding dress. It was white with a green top and a dark blue ribbon tied around her waist. A silver moon was sewn into the breast of the dress, overlapping a golden fan.

"What are you guys doing?" Sokka asked.

"Zuko was just telling Katara what she looks good wearing… or in this case, what she looks good _not_ wearing," Toph explained.

"Katara, why is the back of your dress undone?" Suki asked as she crossed her arms playfully over her chest.

Katara smiled innocently as she looked back at the Kyoshi Warrior, "I was getting undressed."

Suki, Toph and Zuko started laughing and pressed their hands over their mouths to muffle themselves.

"Ok! You can stop now! Too much information for Sokka!" the boy exclaimed as he put his hands over his ears. Toph and Suki laughed harder. "I'm just gonna go now…" he murmured as he backed away.

"Jeez, Katara, you look great!" Suki exclaimed.

"So do you," she pointed out.

"Yea, well, you know," Suki smiled.

"Come on, Suki, I think Zuko wants to make out with Katara and he probably already would be if I hadn't barged in." Toph took the Warrior and led her out of the room, turning at the door and giving Zuko a thumbs up before she shut it.

"That girl needs to get a boyfriend," Katara chuckled.

"Yes. Now, where were we?" Zuko asked as he turned back to Katara. "Ah, yes!"

He slipped her dress off and pressed his lips to hers, gently slipping his tongue into her mouth.

"Mmm…" Katara moaned as she fell backwards onto the bed and started to take his shirt off.

There was a knock at the door and they both jumped up.

"Uh… who is it?" Zuko asked, as Katara quickly put her red and blue robes on. They were still only a few days old and she thought they were perfect for a Fire Lady.

"It's just me," Iroh's voice called from the other side of the door.

Zuko quickly pulled his shirt back on and they straightened up. "Come in," Zuko called and the man pushed open the door and entered the room. He took one look at them and raised his eyebrow.

"What were you two up to?" he asked slyly.

"Oh, well… you know," Katara rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, Zuko, you're needed in a small meeting with some apartment owners. They're offering to let you use their apartment buildings to house the Water Tribe guests and the Kyoshi Warriors when they come for the wedding. Keep in mind, they'll be arriving tomorrow afternoon and you need to find them somewhere to stay."

"Uh, alright then..." Zuko made himself presentable again and put his hair up in its topknot bun and stuck his Imperial Flame in. "See you later, Katara." He kissed her on the cheek and left with his uncle.

Katara sighed. Zuko had a busy job. Every day, he barely got to see her, and the few chances that he did, he didn't have long. At night, he came back to the room tired as anything. He stayed up as long as he could to talk to her and make out with her, but fell asleep after a couple of hours.

Katara got dressed properly and gently put her wedding dress back in its special box to keep it safe.

This was going to be hard, but she knew that she and Zuko would make it.

* * *

Hakoda looked out over the ocean as they sailed closer to the Fire Nation. His mother-in-law was at his elbow, humming a quiet wedding tune that had played at his wedding when he had married his wife. He sighed as he remembered the way she had danced with him that night. She had been the most beautiful thing in the world.

He hoped desperately that Katara and Zuko would have a happy marriage like that. More to it, he hoped that Sokka would not lose Suki, like he had lost his wife. He hoped that his son would never have to feel the pain of losing someone he loved so dearly. He wanted his children to be happy. Both of them.

"Windu," he called to the young man. "Tell the others that we will be arriving tomorrow afternoon and they need to be ready."

Windu nodded and set off to alert his fellow warriors of their arrival time. He would have to send word to the other four ships in this small fleet too.

They had brought more ships than they would need for the Water Tribe men because they were going to bring the Kyoshi Warriors with them. They would all need to know to be ready to leave by tomorrow afternoon.

Windu sighed as he set to work. He was going to have to watch Katara get married. After all of the heartbreak of losing Kiki, he wasn't going to be allowed to be with the girl who had made everything all better for him. He was going to have to suffer seeing her with the Fire Lord.

The warrior mumbled under his breath, "If that guy doesn't treat her right I'll wring his neck."

Windu would not deny he was jealous. Who wouldn't be? But he would admit defeat. After all of the heartbreak, Windu promised himself that he would never fall in love again.

* * *

**Alrighty then, that was the first chapter of Beneath the Earth. Sorry for all the wedding stuff to anyone reading who reckon it's really not up their alley, but don't worry, we're getting straight into the action in this story. No dilly-dally and dawdling. ;D Please leave a review if you read. **

**And incase you didn't get the message when you read Behind the Lies, JOIN TEAM ZUTARA! Check out my profile page or ask me directly if you'd like to find out more. **

* * *


	2. The Day Before the Wedding

**Shout-out to my anonymous reviewer potatoe :P – glad you liked last chapter. Hahaha, yes, there really isn't much else to do when you're dead other than watch over people, including enemies planning evil stuff. ;D Keep reviewing.**

**So, here we go again. Thank you to everybody who reviewed last chapter. Virtual cookies to you all ;) So keep reading and I hope you all enjoy the rest of the story. Please read, review and enjoy! **

* * *

**2. The Day Before the Wedding**

Zuko rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and sat up. He looked to his right, where Katara lay, sleeping peacefully, her chest rising and falling with each breath.

"See you later…" he whispered remorsefully as he stooped down and kissed her tenderly on the cheek.

As quietly as he could, Zuko got out of bed and got dressed into his day clothes. He looked back at Katara from the door and smiled gently.

_I'll be back soon, my girl…_

He left the room to go and attend to his meeting.

The sun peeked up over the horizon and the first light of dawn spilt through the east-facing widow of the room on the ship. Windu rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and sat up wearily, yawning and stretching. He got ready for his day, changing out of his night clothes into presentable, Water Tribe gear.

Today was the day; he would see Katara for the first time in two months. And she would still hate him for having been so forward back at the South Pole. She would be with the Fire Lord, not him.

He walked up onto the deck of the ship to see a port coming closer and closer. It was Earth Kingdom, there was no mistake.

_This must be where Chief Hakoda is deciding to stop for supplies._

Sure enough, half an hour later, the fleet of Water Tribe ships docked and the people on them got off to stretch their legs and get supplies.

Windu left the ship with the other men to look around the sea-side city.

"Hello there, good traveler! Welcome to Katanra!" one of the locals greeted him as he walked into a shop.

_Great… the city is called Katanra! Why does it have to be so close to __**her **__name?! The sooner we're out of here the better…_

With that thought, he left the shop and started heading back to the docks. He'd just wait around the beach for a while until the fleet was ready to set sail again.

As he walked down some side streets, hoping to get to the shore quicker, there was a whisper from a dark alleyway to his left. He turned.

"Huh?"

"Pst!" A shadowy figure for gestured him to come closer.

Cocking his eyebrow and not thinking before he acted, Windu let his curiosity overcome him and he stepped towards the stranger.

"Hello? Who's there?"

As he came closer to the alleyway, the figure crept back further into the shadows.

"Hey, who is that? Why were you calling me?"

Windu was standing in the alley and was about half way down. The dark figure who had been calling him was at the end of the alley and had no where else to go, but stayed where he was, looking at the Water Tribesman.

Windu stood there for a moment, to see if the strange person would do anything more, but he didn't, and Windu decided that it was best if he left.

There was a low rumbling behind him and the ground shook for a quick moment.

"Huh?" Windu turned around to look at what was behind him. "What the –?!"

The new figure that had appeared behind him launched himself forward and pushed Windu against a wall and covered his mouth. The first shadowy figure moved towards them both, calmly, and as he came closer, Windu realized that both men were dressed in a dark green uniform.  
Once the first figure was within arms reach of the Water Tribesman and the second green clad figure, he stamped his foot on the ground, hard, and they shot down into the earth. Windu felt like he was falling and he tried to scream, but the second man still had a hand over his mouth.

When they finally came to a halt in a green, glowing cave, Windu was thrown into a rock chair and the earth moved around his limbs to keep him there.

"What do you think you're doing?! Let me go!" he shouted at the men. But all that they did was one of them left and the other sat in the middle of the room in the middle of some sort of circuit.

A lit lantern started moving around the circuit, going faster and faster all the time.

"There is no war in Ba Sing Se."

* * *

Katara woke up to a sickening feeling in her gut.

"Oh… not again…" she sighed.

Her stomached gave a wrench and the soon-to-be Fire Lady raced to the bathroom to throw up. There was a knock on the bedroom door and she quickly cleaned herself up before she went and answered it.

"Oh, hey Suki. How are you?" she asked bluntly as the Kyoshi Warrior stepped in.

"Did it happen again this morning too?" she asked as soon as Katara had shut the door.

"Yea, actually, it only just happened a second before you knocked. What do you think?"

"I seriously think it's morning sickness. I'm still getting it too… and I still haven't told Sokka," she giggled. "Have you told Zuko yet?"

"I'm not saying anything to him until I'm sure I'm pregnant. For all I know, I could just be feeling sick."

"Katara," Suki looked her in the eye. "People don't wake up every morning and just go and throw up and then feel fine the rest of the day for seven days straight and not have the person they're making out with and sleeping with do the same thing too. Face it, girl," the Warrior smiled. "You're just as pregnant as I am."

Katara's heart skipped a beat, "What should I do?!"

"Calm down! You and Zuko are getting married tomorrow, same goes with me and Sokka. I'm going to tell Sokka that I'm pregnant after the wedding, I think you should tell Zuko too," she smiled.

Katara bit her bottom lip, "Do you really think I'm going to be a mum?" she asked hopefully.

Suki laughed, "We're both gonna be mums. Face it, Katara, you and I are mother material!"

The girls joked for a while longer before Suki left, "Ok, don't tell anyone I'm pregnant."

"Ok, just keep your promise to me and don't tell anyone I am either."

Suki left and Katara shut the door. After a moment of stunned silence and letting things sink in, she jumped up and punched the air. "Woo-hoo! I'm gonna be a mum!"

The waterbender quickly and excitedly got dressed into her day clothes and went to eat breakfast with Suki.

_Ok, I'm telling Zuko tomorrow night. But… can I manage keeping this from him for that long? _

_Of course you can, Katara. You can do anything. Anyways, Suki's been keeping it from Sokka for the whole two months!_

_I guess you're right. If Suki can keep a definite truth from Sokka for two months so that she can surprise him on their wedding night, then I can keep it from Zuko for thirty-six hours for the same reason!_

* * *

Windu walked out of the alley and headed to the docks. He knew exactly what he had to do.

"Come on, Windu, you and Kio are the only people we're waiting for. Come on!" Hakoda called and the Water Tribesman ran to get on the ship. Kio arrived not long after. "Don't tell me you got into a street fight," the Chief sighed, looking the man's bruised body up and down.

"Sorry, Chief, some guy nicked my rucksack and led me to some place and then they tried to beat me up…" he laughed. "But I got my bag back!"

Hakoda rolled his eyes and laughed as the young man got onto the ship. The ship set sail and the Fire Nation's Imperial City was in view by mid afternoon.

* * *

"Katara! Come on, don't you wanna meet your dad at the docks?!" Zuko called as he came into the private living room where Suki, Katara, Toph, and Aang were sitting.

"Oh! Are they already here?!"

"Just about," he laughed, as he pulled her up and started dragging her out to meet the ships.

The others followed hurriedly.

Sokka and Iroh were already at the docks when they got there. Ty Lee was with them.

"Hey, Ty Lee, where's Mai?" Aang asked.

The acrobat shrugged, "I think she's still asleep; she had a late night last night. Tom-Tom was crying all night because he has a fever. He was a lot better this morning though!" She smiled at him as the Water Tribe fleet anchored at the docks.

"Dad!" Sokka and Katara called, as the man got off the first boat.

"Sokka! Katara!" He opened his arms to greet them and pulled them into a hug. "I missed you both so much."

"We missed you too, Dad," Sokka whispered to his father.

Katara was just so happy to see him; she couldn't find words and just hugged him tighter.

"And Suki –" Hakoda looked up to the Kyoshi Warrior. "– Has my son been behaving himself?"

Suki giggled, "Yes, he has been."

The Chief smiled at his future daughter-in-law and then turned to the Fire Lord, "And has Katara been behaving for you?"

"Yes, Sir!" he almost laughed.

Katara started giggling and fell to her knees in laughter.

_No, no, no! Katara! Stop thinking about it or you'll spoil the surprise! Stop thinking about it or it'll slip out! _Katara pushed the thought of her secret pregnancy out of her head and stood up again, blushing.

"I'm all good!" she smiled.

"Right…" Sokka nodded slowly. "Don't worry, Katara, we already knew you were insane."

"Suki!" a man's voice called from where one of the other ships had docked.

"Dad!" The Kyoshi Warrior ran to embrace her father.

"Oh, Suki, it's so good to see you!" he almost wept as he hugged her.

"I missed you, Dad."

"Katara, Sokka," an elderly voice spoke from behind Hakoda and the two water siblings turned to see their grandmother.

"Gran-Gran!" they called to her as they wrapped their arms around her.

Zuko shook hands with Hakoda and his future grandmother-in-law.

"Come on, we need to get everyone to the housing units so you can settle down," Zuko explained to Hakoda.

"Well, if you show me the way, I can help direct all of the traffic," he laughed.

Zuko nodded and simply pointed out the unit blocks from where he stood. "It's a pretty nice little place. It'll hold everyone for sure and it's really easy to get from here to there."

"I believe the difference from here and there it 'T'," Sokka tried to joke. His friends and father all looked at him bluntly, slightly unsure of his sanity.

"You have your father's sense of humor…" Bato assured him from behind, after a few seconds.

Sokka's face fell and Suki giggled comfortingly. "Don't worry, Sokka. As lame as your jokes are, I still love you," she assured him.

"Thanks…" he smiled.

"Alright, Bato, will you spread the word to the other ships that we're moving to the housing estate?" the Chief asked.

"Sure thing," Bato nodded and moved off to start spreading the word.

"Alright, Katara, would you start by taking your grandmother to where we will be staying?" Hakoda asked his daughter.

"No worries, Dad," she smiled as she helped her grandmother pick up some of her bags. With that, she began to lead the way to the housing units.

"And I'll start taking some of the mother's with kids over from my side," Suki announced.

"Good idea, I'll help," Sokka offered.

"Thanks. Alright, if you are a mother with children, start grabbing your bags. Follow me and Sokka over to the units and we'll show you where you're staying."

Sokka sighed inwardly, she directed them like a true leader… and he knew that she was.

It was a long afternoon as everyone got over to the hotel and got their stuff out of their hair. As the last of the men from the Water Tribe headed over, Katara went to help her father carry some stuff.

"Hey, Katara, I think I left my wedding gift for you and Zuko back in my room…" He looked apologetically at his daughter. "You know where my room is; how about you go and get it. No peeking now; you don't get it till after the wedding," he winked at her.

"Alright, Dad," she smiled.

Katara headed for her father's room. It was easy to locate; she'd been on her motherland's ships many times before for fishing trips and she knew where the Chief always stayed.

She was in the room and there, on the bed, was a small parcel. Katara picked it up curiously and shook it as gently as she could, hoping she wouldn't break it. Something jingled softly inside the box and she smiled as she wondered what the small gift was.

There were some footsteps at the door of the room and a figure appeared in the doorway.

"Hey, Chief, I was just wondering –" The boy stopped short when he saw Katara.

"Windu?" she asked, slightly shocked.

"Katara?! Oh… hi." He blushed deeply.

The soon-to-be Fire Lady felt her face turn a deep shade of crimson. "What are you doing here?" she asked darkly.

"Um… well, your dad kinda got me to come along for the wedding. And well, I thought you were the Chief and I wanted to ask something… but don't worry; I'll just go and find him now," he shrugged as he quickly turned and left the room.

"Grrr…"

Katara headed for the door and went above deck, steaming on the inside, but managing to keep a cool face.

"Did you find it?" Hakoda asked her as he straightened up.

"Yea, I think so. Is this what you meant?" She held up the small package.

"Sure is!" he smiled, as he stood up and took it from her. They walked side by side to the units and met up with the others.

"Well, good morning, Mai!" Katara greeted the girl as she rubbed sleep out of her eyes.

"Did I seriously just sleep all day?"

"Yup, congratulations! I think you even made Sokka jealous," Katara laughed as she looked at the dimming sky outside that the girl had woken up to.

"Jeez, Tom-Tom knows how to scream when he's sick…"

"Hey, Katara! Hey, Mai!" Zuko came up to them.

"Hey, Zu –" Mai cut herself off as she yawned widely. Katara started laughing and the Fire Lord looked between the girls in discomfort.

"Hey, Chief," a man's voice spoke from behind them.

Katara felt herself tense up as she immediately recognized the voice, "Why, hello, Windu. How can I help you?"

"I was wondering if…"

Katara grabbed Zuko and Mai by the arms and led them away, hoping that her father wouldn't mind, but hoping even more that Windu hadn't noticed her.

"Hey, what was all of that about?" Zuko asked when they stopped again.

"Yea, you just suddenly got all edgy. What's up?" Mai asked, slightly bored.

"Never mind. Don't worry about it," she told them.

"Hey, c'mon, you're about to marry me; no secrets!" Zuko poked her in the arm.

"Eh… I'll tell you later," she promised.

Zuko cocked an eyebrow at her for a moment, but then sighed and nodded in agreement.

"Alright, well I think that's everyone!" Suki announced as she and Sokka approached them.

"Katara, will you be staying at the palace?" Gran-Gran asked as she joined the gathering with Iroh.

"Katara, your Grandmother is an excellent Pai Sho player!" he chimed happily.

"You haven't been gambling with each other, have you?!" Zuko and Katara asked at the same time as Toph and Ty Lee came up to them.

"Who's being a naughty girl or boy?" Toph asked as she looked around blindly.

"Us oldies," the Water Tribe woman chuckled.

"And yes, Gran-Gran, I am staying up at the palace," Katara affirmed.

"You should come and visit us some time!" Iroh offered.

"I will."

"Hey, Kana, come and take a walk with me," Master Pakku called to the woman.

"Coming, Pakku!" She walked away from the group and was replaced by Chief Hakoda.

"What's happening here, folks?" he asked.

"Not much, just confirming that everyone is in," Zuko answered.

"And?"

"I think everyone's set for tomorrow!" Suki chimed.

"This is so exciting! I just can't wait for the wedding tomorrow!" Ty Lee literally jumped up in the air.

"Ty Lee, everything excites you," Mai sighed.

"Hey!"

"Let her have some fun!" Aang said as he joined the group as well.

"Oh, hey Aang!" Hakoda smiled.

"Hi. Hey, Zuko, um… you're kinda needed in a meeting and they sent me to get you," Aang shrugged.

"Oh… why do the meetings always have to be on the busiest days?" he sighed.

"Hey, now you're starting to sound like me," Mai noted.

Zuko shut his mouth abruptly and then looked back at Aang, "Do you know what time this meeting is starting?"

"In half an hour… but people are already arriving… apparently…" He shrugged apologetically.

Zuko sighed again, "I'd better get to it." With that, he walked away, leaving the others to wonder what this meeting was going to be about.

"Well, I think I'm going to get an early night's sleep!" Suki announced.

"Hold on, we haven't had dinner yet!" Sokka shouted.

"Oh no! Zuko's gonna miss out on dinner…" Katara sighed.

"Well, let's not make anyone else miss out on dinner. Let's all go and get ready," Hakoda suggested.

"Alright."

Everyone agreed and headed off to prepare for dinner.

* * *

Toph, Aang, Sokka, Suki, Katara and Iroh walked to the palace together. Mai and Ty Lee headed to Mai's house and all of the guests went up to their rooms to get ready for dinner. It was only five thirty in the afternoon, but it was already dark. The stars illuminated the inky black sky with aid from the moon and Azula let a salty tear drip into the well.

Yue put a hand on her shoulder, "Is this about what's gonna happen to Zuko and Katara? Or is this about Sokka?"

The Fire Princess Spirit hesitated for a moment before she replied. "It's both." She sighed after a moment. "I never for a second have wanted for Zuko or Katara to have to go through so much heartbreak. All of their hopes of being happily together are about to be shattered… and it's all Shang's fault!" Another tear dropped into the well. And another. And another.

* * *

"Oh no! Quick, get inside!" Sokka grabbed Suki and they ran with the others towards the palace as it suddenly started to rain. They all got inside and headed up to their rooms.

"Oh," Suki sighed in disappointment. "I often think that the rain makes things look happy, as happy as they are in sunlight. But for some reason, tonight, the rain is just making everything look sad."

Sokka put one of his warm hands on her shoulder. "It'll be alright."

* * *

"And what about Sokka? Do you wanna say why you're suddenly acting up over him?" Ursa asked her daughter, gently.

Azula stayed silent for a moment longer than expected and answered slowly, "I should have known it was too good to last." Tears were streaming down her face and splashing violently into the well. Her eyes stung with the salt, even though she had always thought that spirits could not feel pain… she had been told that it was rare for them to cry and it only happened when they were truly miserable.

* * *

Katara changed out of her wet clothes and started to sort through her draws to find the garment she wanted to wear.

_Ah ha! There you are._

She snatched the blue dress up and pulled it over her head, smoothing out the creases and then examining herself in the mirror. It was a fairly simple dress, but it was for that reason exactly that it looked so beautiful and why she loved it so much.

It was a bright, sky-blue, loose fitting garment that fell to her ankles. It had long sleeves that were slightly puffed around the shoulders and had darker blue lace for a cuff. In the back, the dress laced up with soft ribbon, the same dark blue as the cuffs. The top half of the dress was slightly more tightly fitting in order to emphasis her womanly curves.

Katara looked in the mirror and examined herself. With a smile, she let her hair out and brushed it well before tying it up into a bun. She finished her bun off with a White Lotus flower hairclip. She smiled at herself in the mirror again as the door behind her opened and Zuko stepped into the room.

* * *

Azula calmed herself down and wiped away her tears. It was no use crying over what you couldn't control.

"It'll be alright… I hope," Yue sighed.

Ursa put her arms around both of the spirit princesses and held them close to her as they watched Zuko and Katara in their room.

* * *

The rain ceases, slowly, and the inky sky came out from behind the clouds – moon, stars and all.

"Oh, looks like we won't be getting all of our visitors wet on the way to dinner then," Zuko said as he shut the door behind him.

"Aren't you supposed to be in a meeting?" Katara asked, hands on her hips.

"I went; a general just needed my opinion on some suspicious activity in the southern Earth Kingdom. We think there might be a group of firebenders out there who are trying to restart the war. He just wanted my opinion on the matter and my permission to investigate it."

"Poor Zuko, being hustled over everything," Katara sighed.

"Unfortunately, it _is_ in the job description."

Katara giggled and stepped closer to her fiancé.

Zuko smiled and absentmindedly put his hands on her waist.

"So, does this mean you _will_ be able to come to dinner?" she queried.

"Sure does," he assured her as she slung her arms gently over his shoulders.

Katara waited a moment before she pecked him quickly on the lips. "Well, get dressed out of these clothes and put something else on!" she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am!"

* * *

Zuko escorted his lady down to dinner once he was presentable. Dinner was being held in the ballroom, which had had several large tables brought into it. There was sure to be enough room for everyone.

There weren't many people already there, but everyone slowly came. Dinner started and everyone took their seats. Zuko, being the Fire Lord, sat at the head of the table, and Katara sat to his right. On her right sat Sokka and Suki and on Zuko's left, Iroh and Aang. Ty Lee and Mai sat on the other side of Iroh and Hakoda and Gran-Gran on the other side of Suki. Toph sat between Mai and the other guests.

Once everyone was seated, but before the food was brought out, Iroh whispered over to Zuko.

"Nephew, now would be a good time to make the speech," Iroh winked at Katara.

"Wha –? Oh, right!" Zuko whispered back, slightly flustered.

"Go on," Iroh encouraged.

"Would you like to do the honors?" Zuko enquired.

Iroh nodded and stood up. Clearing his throat loudly, he called everyone in the venue to attention, "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, guests and locals –"

"Oh, no… maybe it wasn't such a good idea to let him do it," Zuko sighed as his uncle made a scene.

"– and people of all ages!" He finished an immensely long sentence. The majority of the guests were struggling to suppress their snickers and laughter. "It is my greatest honor to welcome you all to the Imperial City of the Fire Nation!"

The guests started to cheer and clap and Zuko sighed in relief at the end of his uncle's welcoming speech. "I thought he'd never stop…" he whispered to Katara. She only laughed, muffling the noise with her hand.

"So, what speech are you doing?" she asked, eyeing him playfully.

"And now, without further ado, I'd like to hand over to my Nephew!" Iroh called as he indicated to Zuko and sat down. The guests started cheering again.

"You're about to find out," he answered as he stood up. Fire Lord Zuko waited for the cheering to die down before he began.

"Tomorrow, Sokka and Suki will be married. At the same time, tomorrow, Katara and I will be married. Along with our marriages, comes the uniting of our Nations and a sign of peace and love. Sokka and Suki will be the successors of Kyoshi Island and the Southern Water Tribe and they will some day become your leaders. I know that they will both make you all happy and lead you the right way." He paused there as the guests – mainly the Kyoshian's and Water Tribal's – cheered loudly for Sokka and Suki. The Fire Lord looked to the happy couple; they were both blushing madly, but smiling widely.

"Thanks, Zuko," Suki whispered.

"Yea… thanks," Sokka smiled.

"No worries."

Zuko waited for the crowd to go quiet again before he continued. "I am already a leader and already the Fire Lord. The moment Katara marries me tomorrow, she will officially become my Fire Lady and another leader of this Nation. Along with being Fire Lady comes great responsibilities, which, I have no doubt, she will be able to handle as well as her brother and sister-in-law and as well as myself." Zuko didn't purposefully pause; he was forced to stop by the uproar of cheering.

He looked around to the others sitting nearest him. Sokka and Suki were still smiling widely and blushing. Katara was blushing slightly and had tears of compassion in her eyes. Iroh's eyes were filled with pride and Aang, smiling as he ever did, nodded approvingly. Ty Lee had the biggest grin ever – per usual – and Mai's lips had graced the most uncommon but heartbreakingly beautiful smile. Hakoda and Kana were cheering encouragingly and as Zuko looked to Toph, he had to resist the urge to start laughing. She seemed to be the only one who wasn't clapping. Instead, her hands were firmly pressed over her sensitive ears. But her smile never left her face, not even for a second, and for the briefest of moments, Zuko remembered a day when Azula had always smiled, no matter what happened.

Recovering from his moment of déjà vu, he put his hands up to hurry the process of the crowd silencing. Slowly, everyone obliged to his gesture and the venue went quiet again.

"The two weddings are the reasons you are all here. And it is an honor to have so many guests present at the same time to celebrate something so wonderful together. On behalf of all of us getting married tomorrow, I'd like to thank you for all being here. And as a sign of gratitude, we've had this dinner arranged for all of us to enjoy. So, without further ado, I'd like you all to get acquainted and have a good time."

Zuko finished his speech and sat down as everyone in the room cheered loudly for him.

* * *

"That's my boy," Ursa whispered, as she and the two spirit princesses watched the event through the well.

"He really is a leader," Azula sighed. "If only we were down there with him."

Yue put a hand on her friend's shoulder, "It'll all be alright. He knows you're both proud of him."

Azula smiled; Yue always seemed to know what to say and when to say it. It was just like her mother.

"Thanks, Yue," the Fire Princess Spirit smiled.

They all looked back into the well.

* * *

Food was brought to the table by servants and everyone dug into the meal that was being provided. There were dishes from all four nations available. Everyone was happy with the feast and no one complained about anything, except for being too full to eat anything else.

It was around eight o'clock when people started heading back to their rooms. Within half an hour, the ballroom/dining room had been cleared of guests and the only people left were Sokka, Suki, Zuko, Katara, Aang and Toph.

"Well, that was fun," Aang smiled.

"That was loud," Toph sighed.

Zuko put an arm around Toph and hugged her. "Poor thing. How are your ears?"

Toph yawned widely and rubbed her eyes. "A bit sore. But don't worry, Speech Master, I'll live."

"Good girl… wait, what did you just call me?" the Fire Lord asked sleepily.

"Speech Master."

It took Zuko a moment to figure out how he had received his new nickname. "Oh right! Because I made the big speech and made everyone make a lot of noise… right?"

"Yea," Toph nodded. "That took you a while."

"I'm not in thinking mode… I'm tired!"

"Oh, poor Zuko, it's past his bedtime!" Katara teased, pinching his cheek.

"I'll give you past my bedtime in a sec," he smiled playfully.

"I'd like to see you –" Katara stopped to yawn and Sokka snickered. "– try."

"I think we all need to go to bed!" Suki butt in before they could carry on the conversation. "We've all got a big day tomorrow! And you boys just wait till you find out what mine and Katara's wedding presents for you are."

The Kyoshi Warrior had a huge grin spread across her face and it took a moment for Katara to figure out what she meant. "Suki! Sh! You're going to spoil the surprise!"

The waterbender had to resist the urge to put her hands gently over her stomach to see if she could feel a kick yet.

_No, no! I have to wait till tomorrow night!_

"Don't worry, they're not going to figure it out," Suki assured her.

"What?! Tell us! We'll find out, even if you don't!" Sokka shouted.

"We know you will. You're going to find out tomorrow, so don't try and spoil the surprise for yourselves," Suki giggled, putting a finger to Sokka's lips to silence him.

Suki absentmindedly put a hand over her belly as they all continued to talk about who was up past their bedtime. Suddenly, Toph started laughing.

"What?" the Kyoshian asked.

"Oh nothing, I just figured out what yours and Katara's wedding presents for Sokka and Zuko are," she grinned.

"Well, don't tell them!" Katara warned her.

"Don't worry. Just make sure I'm there when they find out… or at least tell me what their reactions are!" the earthbender smirked, as she double checked to make sure she had sensed everything right. But there was no doubt – she could tell that both of her friends were pregnant.

"Well, seriously, let's all go to bed now. We don't want to fall asleep at the wedding," Zuko announced.

Everyone nodded and they started heading to their rooms.

"So… what _is _the wedding present you've got for me? And what did Suki get Sokka?"

"Not telling!" Katara vowed. "You can't make me. You'll just have to wait till tomorrow night."

Zuko put on a sad face, but Katara kept smiling at him. Soon, he couldn't keep the smile away.

They got to their room and got changed to go to sleep.

"Alright, I guess I'll never find out early then," Zuko sighed.

"Nope."

"Then, do you promise to tell me what it is tomorrow night?" he asked.

"I promise," Katara agreed as she lay down.

Zuko slipped into the bed next to her and put his arms around her, "I love you."

He kissed her gently on the forehead and she smiled.

"I love you too." The waterbender lay her head on his chest and shut her eyes. The world of dreams encased her and she was lost from her world for the night.

* * *

**There you have it, guys. I hope you liked it. Please review ;D **

**Oh, and JOIN TEAM ZUTARA!**


	3. Revealing the Secret

**Hey peeps, sorry for the long wait. But here you go – an update for you now ^_^ Hope you all enjoy this chapter. Please review. And thanks to everybody who reviewed the last two chapters ;)**

**Read, review and enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

**3. Revealing the Secret**

"Wakey, wakey! C'mon, sleepyhead, get up!"

Katara sighed and opened her eyes, "But I'm so tired!"

"You can sleep tonight, and sleep in tomorrow! C'mon!" Zuko tried to pull her out of the bed. "I wanna marry you!"

Katara laughed, "Alright, alright!" She sat up. "I'm up."

Zuko smiled at her and kissed her quickly on the lips, "I love you."

"I love you too," she smiled. She kissed him back and then got out of the bed. "Alright, you need to disappear now. Remember, we aren't meant to see each other before the wedding!" she winked at him.

Zuko smiled, "I know. Just make sure you don't go back to sleep."

"I won't," she promised as he left. With that, she got her dress and headed for Suki's room.

"Go on! Get out of here; you're breaking tradition!" she laughed as she kicked Sokka out of the room.

"No, no, no, one more kiss, c'mon, one more –"

The Kyoshian planted the juiciest kiss Katara had ever seen on her brother's lips and Sokka smiled.

"I love you."

"I love you too, now get out!" Suki literally pushed him out of the door and shut it behind him.

"Bye!" he called. The girls listened to his footsteps fade away down the corridor before they did or said anything.

"Katara! It's today! We're getting married today!" Suki jumped up and down.

"I know! Finally!" The girls flung their arms around each other and hugged tightly. "I'm so happy!"

"Me too."

"And just think; tonight…" Katara put a hand on her belly. "Tonight, we tell them," she whispered.

Suki had tears in her eyes, "I know. This is going to be so, so wonderful!"

"I know! Now, we didn't arrange to meet here for no reason. Let's get ready for our big day!"

Suki nodded, "Alright, you brought your dress?"

"Check!" Katara held up the garment still in its box. "Have you got yours?"

"Check!" Suki indicated to the bed.

"Did you bring your hairbrush?"

"Check!" Katara held up the brush. "And you'll have yours somewhere in here."

"You bet."

There was a knock on the door.

"Password?" Suki asked, leaning up against the door.

"Happy place!" three voices rang.

Suki opened the door and Ty Lee, Mai and Toph slipped into the room, shutting the door firmly behind them. Suki locked it.

"Alright, we're all here!" Ty Lee chimed.

"Did everyone bring what they're going to wear?" Katara asked.

"Yep!"

"Sure did."

"Right here!"

The three new girls held up a bag each which Katara knew must be containing their clothes.

"Alright, we'll get dressed first," Suki decided. "No point doing makeup or hair until clothes are on or it'll all get wrecked!"

The girls all found a flat surface area in the room to empty out their bags; they all used the bed.

They sorted their dresses out from the rest of the content and double checked to make sure every part of it was in tact.

They all ditched their night gowns and sleeping clothes that were hidden under their quickly donned bathrobes and shawls. Pulling the garments over their heads, they helped each other lace up in the back and make everything fit the way it was suppose to.

Katara adjusted the bow around her waist at the same time as Suki and both girls started laughing.

"Wow, Mai that looks really nice!" Ty Lee gasped at her friend's dress.

"My mum made it," she informed the acrobat.

"Cute."

"Mai, do a cat walk!" Suki urged.

"No way!" Mai almost laughed.

"Well, at least turn around slowly for us to see," Katara asked of her.

Smiling a little, Mai slowly turned around on the spot while the other girls looked at her outfit.

It was a silky dress. It was made of a dark reddish purple material. It flowed gently with her body and draped to the ground. The top was made to gather at certain points at the front around the low-cut collar. But the dress was still modest. The sleeves came three quarters of the way down her arms and hung loosely. It was a beautiful outfit and all three girls were sure they would never get to see her wear it again.

"Oh! It's gorgeous!" Katara sighed.

"Thanks, your wedding dresses are cute too," Mai returned the comment.

"Thanks," Katara and Suki both said.

"Hey, Ty Lee, what's that you're wearing? Wow, that's pretty!" Katara pointed out the acrobat's clothes.

"Hey, thanks!" Ty Lee smiled widely as she twirled on the spot and put her hands on her hips.

Her dress was pink – no surprises there. It was a singlet-sleeve dress with a low-cut v neck. But just as Mai's dress, it was still modest. The pink material dropped to a point just below her knees and when Ty Lee twirled, the material puffed out and flew up just above her knees.

It was adorable and cute and it suited the girl perfectly.

"Toph, what do you think?" Ty Lee asked, twirling again.

"I'd give you my opinion, but I'm blind," the earthbender smiled.

"Oh… right, sorry," Ty Lee apologized.

"Don't worry. But… be honest; how do I look?"

Toph nervously showed off her clothes to the other girls.

It was a green dress. The bottom half was crimped in a pattern. At first, it looked like a singlet-top, but there were golden sleeves attached to the dress that came down to her elbows. The dress was not low cut and the skirt of it came right down to her feet.

"Toph, you look great!" Katara smiled.

"Yea, it looks gorgeous on you," Ty Lee chirped.

"You've got nothing to worry about," Mai and Suki assured her.

Toph smiled with relief, "Thanks."

The girls quickly did a very small amount of make up on each other and then their hair.

When they were finished, Mai's hair was out and only had a black ribbon with a bow being used as a headband to keep it back. Ty Lee had parted her hair into two ponytails that hung over her shoulders. Toph's black hair was loose, except for two small braids that acted like a headband and joined with a clip at the back of her head, beneath the blanket of loose hair it held back. Katara and Suki were both wearing their hair completely loose. The brown curves curled and flicked about their shoulders and back and shaped their faces.

"I think we're ready," Suki smiled.

"I think we are," Katara nodded.

The others nodded in agreement. With that, they headed down to where they were supposed to be waiting.

* * *

"Do I look alright?" Sokka asked nervously.

"Dude, you look fine!" Zuko almost laughed at the boy.

"Sokka, you really need to stop worrying," Aang sighed. "You sound like a girl."

Zuko scoffed and grinned smartly. "Alright, how do _we_ look?" he asked, confidence in his voice.

Sokka looked the Fire Lord and the Avatar up and down and nodded with a smile, "Very classy!"

"Great… oh Sokka, I told you not to touch your ponytail!" Zuko sighed indignantly and he forced the Water Tribe boy to sit down again.

"Sorry, it just felt funny…"

"Well now it _looks_ funny." Zuko quickly but neatly redid Sokka's ponytail. Smiling at his work, he checked his own hair.

"It looks fine, Zuko," Sokka assured him.

"Hey, how does my hair look?" Aang smirked, running a hand over his arrow tattoo.

Sokka started laughing hysterically.

"You're just lucky that you're not getting married today, kido!"

The Avatar laughed and smiled at the two husbands-to-be.

"So, how do you both feel?" he asked.

"Nervous," they both said immediately.

"And happy, of course!" Zuko quickly added.

"Oh, yea! But that goes without mention," Sokka laughed.

"Right… well, can you guys wait to marry those girls or what?!"

'No way! I wanna go marry Katara right now!" Zuko would have laughed if the statement hadn't been true.

Both older boys saw Aang's face drop for a second – only for a second! – and decided not to say anything.

There was an awkward silence in the room for a moment, before Aang spoke again.

"You're really lucky, Zuko," he mumbled.

Pity growing in his heart, the Fire Lord put a hand on Aang's shoulder, "Cheer up, buddy. Don't worry; you'll find someone!"

Aang smiled sadly.

"Yea, Aang, you shouldn't have any trouble winning a girl; you're the Avatar!"

Aang and Zuko both started laughing.

"Thanks, guys."

Zuko and Sokka smiled at Aang, "Don't mention it."

"It's not like it's the first time I've encouraged you with girls; now, just remember what I taught you when we were at Aunt Wu's village!" Sokka reminded him.

Sokka turned to examine himself in a mirror once more and Zuko leaned over to Aang.

"Uh… what did he teach you in this Aunt Wu's village?" he whispered.

Aang sighed and shook his head, "I'll tell you some other time."

The door suddenly opened, "Are you boys ready?" Hakoda and Iroh asked, sticking their heads around the corner.

"You bet!" Sokka laughed as he bounded over to his father and hugged him tightly, "You have no idea how excited I am! Or… maybe you do; you did marry Mum after all," he shrugged.

"Well, I know I've never been this excited in my whole life," Zuko commented, trying not to let loose the butterflies in his stomach.

Aang stayed silent.

"Alright, boys, I think it's about time you came down to the parlor. The wedding is going to start any moment now. The girls are already ready for you," Iroh winked at his nephew and Zuko hoped to the gods that he would be able to keep his hands off his fiancée until they were behind closed doors.

Sokka and Zuko followed the two older men out of the room.

Aang looked at himself in the mirror for a moment.

_Today's the day. After this… I know I already don't have a chance with her, but after this, I'll have lost her forever. I'll have lost her to him…_

Aang had to fight back the tears threatening his eyes.

Katara was happy and that was all that mattered to him. As much as it tore him apart inside to know that she wouldn't be with him, he promised himself that he would support her through this and learn to let her go.

Taking a deep breath, Aang followed his friends out of the room and ran to catch up with them.

* * *

Suki and Katara stood in an awkward silence as they waited anxiously for their queue to enter the ballroom that had been transformed into a church.

Katara's inner thoughts were of the last time she remembered this room being transformed into a church for the sake of a marriage… also the first time she remembered. It had been just a few months ago, while the summer had been young.

Now moving into autumn, she found that it wasn't quite as bright as it had been all that time ago, when Azula had been the bride who was sacrificing her freedom to give them a chance to defeat the Fire Lord. In the end, Azula had given up her life.

Katara gulped hard as she remembered that day. It had been the day Zuko had broken her heart and he had almost not been able to heal it. But he had chased her back home, just to be with her.

Her thoughts moving on, she remembered the day Zuko had shown up at the Southern Water Tribe. She had been so torn, she had wanted to die. She didn't want him back because she didn't want him to break her heart again. But in the end, he had gotten through to her and she had given in.

Katara had given herself to him that day.

And that day, although neither of them had known it, she had fallen pregnant with his baby.

Her train of thoughts moving along once again, her stomach squirmed in a mixture of delight and nervousness as she thought about what would happen that night. She was going to tell him. After two and a half months, her secret would finally be out to more than just Toph and Suki.

"Girls," a bridesmaid whispered; it was a Kyoshi Warrior. "It's time."

With that, the two brides took a deep breath and followed the precession into the church.

Standing either side of the altar were Sokka and Zuko.

* * *

As the girls stepped into the room, Sokka and the Fire Lord felt as though everything was going in slow motion. The elegant girls gracefully approached them, smiles on their faces and eyes shining with love.

Sokka gently let out a held breath and Zuko tried to relax his tense body.

After what seemed like forever, Katara was at the Fire Lord's side and Suki stood at Sokka's.

Each of the girls gave their very soon-to-be husband a look in the eye to let them know that they were ready and that they would always be there for them.

The priest stepped forward and, with a smile, he opened the wedding.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the joining of… three families," he quickly double checked to make sure he'd calculated right. Yes, there were four people getting married; two couples. But he had to keep in mind that one from each couple was related and therefore, only equaled one family between them.

A few of the guests giggled quietly and the four up the front of the church couldn't even keep the smiles off their faces.

"Yes… um… moving on, today, as well as joining three families, we are also joining three nations. And with the uniting of three of the four nations, we can –"

Zuko wasn't even paying attention to the man in front of him; he couldn't stop staring at Katara.

_So beautiful… so soft… so loving… so warm…_

* * *

Sokka's case was that of the Fire Lord's; he just couldn't take his eyes off his fiancée. To him, Suki was the perfect distraction from anything.

_I know you'll always be there. I know you love me. And I will never stop loving you._

* * *

She could feel his gaze set on her. She wanted to look at him too, but she had to make sure that at least one of them was listening to the priest.

Suki thought deeply of the man standing next to her.

_Sokka, you're so strong. I love you so much. I know that you'll always catch me when I fall. _

* * *

Katara knew that Sokka couldn't get his eyes off Suki.

She grinned to herself as she realized that Zuko wasn't acting much differently towards her. She could tell from a sidelong glance that he was entranced by her.

_Zuko… I could never tell you how much I love you. It's simply something that could never be expressed in words. But you already know how much I love you; I've shown you before and you've shown me how much you love me too. You hold me tight and never let go. We can be together forever…_

_Forever…_

Forever was a long, long time, but this was love and Katara knew it was real.

"Do you, Katara, take Zuko to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love and to hold, through health and sickness, till death, do you part?"

Katara only just realized that they had already come to the end of the ceremony. Taking in a deep breath and not hesitating for a second, she answered, "I do."

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Zuko smiling widely at her.

"Do you, Suki, take Sokka to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love and to hold, through health and sickness, till death, do you part?" the priest turned to the other couple.

"I do," Suki grinned, tears of joy gleaming in her eyes.

As the priest turned back to Zuko, she realized that she had watery eyes as well.

"Do you, Zuko, take Katara to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and to hold, through health and sickness, till death, do you part?"

Zuko opened his mouth, but it took him a moment to find his voice, "I do."

He had tears in his eyes too and Katara felt something well up inside of her, wanting him to say so much more. But she knew that now wasn't the time; he'd say more, but later.

"Do you, Sokka, take Suki to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and to hold, through health and sickness, till death, do you part?" the priest once again turned to the opposite couple.

A comical grin on his face, Sokka cleared his throat and spoke directly to the girl next to him. "I do."

Suki's face lit up and she smiled widely at him.

Katara felt Zuko slip his hand into hears.

* * *

"If anyone has any objections to these couples being wed, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Aang fidgeted in his seat, but tried to cover it up. He noticed Mai, in the row in front of him, also fidget a little bit. He knew what she was thinking; it was exactly what was going through his mind.

Neither of them wanted to be there at that moment. Although they had promised themselves that they would learn to let go of the ones they loved, they would have given anything not to be there at that moment.

* * *

Windu bit his lip, hard.

He didn't want to have to watch this. It was tearing him apart to watch another man take Katara for his own.

_Not for long; I'll get my revenge for this soon._

He smirked as he went over his plans once more in his head.

* * *

The priest smiled, "In that case, without further ado, I now pronounce you husband and wife," he turned to Zuko and Katara. "And husband and wife," he turned to Sokka and Suki. "You may now kiss."

Without a moment of hesitation, Katara flung her arms around Zuko's neck and he pressed his lips against hers.

Suki turned to Sokka and in less than a second, her soft lips were pressed gently to his. They kissed tenderly but passionately.

Zuko pulled Katara towards him and held her tight, wishing that he would never have to let go. This was the happiest moment of his life.

Sokka held Suki close to him as he remembered what his father had told him to do. He started playing with a lock of her hair, gently twirling it around one of his fingers and gently made her lean backwards slightly, keeping her up with his other hand.

When Zuko and Katara broke apart, they looked each other in the eyes.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," the waterbender smiled.

Sokka whispered to Suki while they were still lip locked, "I love you."

Suki giggled as she kissed her husband, "I love you too."

Everyone who was in the vicinity started clapping and cheering wildly; one of the guests from Kyoshi had a foaming mouth and was waving his arms around wildly.

The priest smiled happily at everyone in front of him and put his hands up to silence them.

"Now, the couples must sign the certificate, to make their marriages official!"

There were two certificates laid out on the altar, each with a brush next to them.

Zuko and Sokka went first, picking up the brushes, dipping it in the ink and writing their names neatly on the line.

With a smile, Zuko turned and passed the brush to Katara and Sokka passed his to Suki.

On the certificate that Zuko had written on, Katara imprinted her name. Suki brushed her name onto the same certificate as Sokka.

With a sigh, the girls put the brushes down; they were finally married to the one's they loved most.

* * *

Azula let another tear fall into the well as she watched the marriage.

"Don't cry, sweetie," Ursa whispered, putting a hand on the Fire Princess Spirit's shoulder, although, she wasn't sure if Azula was crying with joy from seeing her brother finally with the one he loves, or because of what was going to happen next.

* * *

By the time Zuko, Katara, Sokka and Suki had finally escaped the crowd of people who had attended their wedding, the sun was on its descent.

"Alright, Katara, I think it's time we gave the boys our wedding presents!" Suki smiled slyly.

Katara smirked, trying not to let her excitement overflow her, "Alright."

With that, Suki led Sokka away to their room and Katara took Zuko by the hand and led him to theirs.

"So, when do I get my present?" Katara asked sweetly, eyeing him gently.

"Tonight; you're going to have to be patient. But what did you get for me?" Zuko asked her, suspiciously.

Katara's insides squirmed with a mixture of nerves and excitement.

"Zuko…" she whispered as she drew up close to him. She waited a moment to build up a bit of suspense. "I'm pregnant."

The Fire Lord felt his heart freeze in his chest.

…_What… did you just… say…?_

Zuko looked in dumbfound shock at his new wife. When he could finally move his body again, all he could do was blink.

"Zuko?" Katara asked, panic starting to flood through her body, _no… he doesn't like this…_

"K-Katara… did you just say that… you're…pregnant…?" he croaked as he tired to make sure he hadn't misheard.

Katara bit her lip and nodded, her heart falling apart and tears threatening to spill.

Zuko noticed the worried look on her face and it took him a moment to respond to it. At first, all he could do was stare, dumbfound, at Katara as he tried to force the idea to settle in.

A fat tear dripped down Katara's cheek and she lowered her head.

"I should have known it wasn't what you wanted," she sobbed as she turned away.

Zuko felt the hairs on his head stand on ends and his belly did a flip-flop. He shook his head to rid himself of dumbness.

"Whoa… wait… uh… Katara…"

She was really crying and she was really crying heavily.

"Katara!" Zuko shook his shock away. "Katara! You're… I'm… we're…"

She turned her teary face to look at him. He had a smile spread across his face and tears in his eyes. But not tears of sorrow or disappointment; they were tears of joy.

"Z-Zuko?"

"Katara…" He put his hands on either side of her face so that she couldn't look away from him. She looked him right in the eye as he wiped her tears away with his thumb.

Katara smiled, "So… y-you're… happy?"

"KATARA! HOW CAN I NOT BE HAPPY?!" he shouted with glee.

Before Katara could do anything more, he pulled her towards him and pushed his lips so firmly against hers that she was sure they would never be able to pull apart again.

She closed her eyes and kissed him back, wrapping her arms tightly around him and pulling him closer.

Suddenly, Zuko lifted her up bridal style and carried her over to the bed. He lay her down on the soft blankets and slowly moved over her. Of course, it wasn't like he needed to force himself into any position; she was practically pulling him on top of her.

After what felt like an eternity, Zuko sat up and Katara let him get off her. He rolled over to lie at her side and pulled her into a hug. Her head rested just under his chin as he stroked her hair and what was exposed of her arms.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner? How long have you known?" he asked her as he tickled her gently.

Katara laughed, "I've known for about a month. Or… at least… I've had an inkling about it for about a month. I only decided it was definite… with a bit of help from Suki… just a couple of days ago. I didn't tell you because… well, I wanted to make it your wedding surprise."

He smiled at her with starry eyes, holding her tighter and tighter with each second.

"Wait… didn't you and Suki get me and Sokka the same presents?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes."

"Wait… so, does that mean… Suki's…?" He gave her a look of doubt. "Pregnant?"

Katara smiled cheekily, "Yes, she is."

Zuko's face cracked into a wide smile, "Boy, is Sokka going to be pleased or what?!"

They both started laughing.

* * *

"You're joking," Sokka looked blankly at Suki.

"Nope!" she smiled, shoulders back, chin out. She was a girl with big business and she was going to present it properly and without shame. But the way Sokka was reacting to the news of her pregnancy so far wasn't what she had been hoping for.

"You're joking," he repeated for what must have been the thousandth time.

Suki slumped on the inside, but did she dare let her disappointment show to her new husband?

"No, Sokka" Her voice dropped without her meaning for it to. It made it completely obvious to Sokka that she was getting upset. "I'm not joking. I'm pregnant."

She looked at him in worry for a moment, hoping for him to do something… _anything_ that would show her that he was happy by this news.

And her wish came true.

"Suki! This is great!" He pulled her into a hug and held her tight. "You have no idea how happy I am!"

He kissed her passionately on the lips and she returned the favour.

"You do know what else this means, right?" she asked, pulling back a bit to speak.

Sokka looked at her in confusion and shrugged.

Suki laughed softly and smiled at him, "Me and Katara had the same gifts for our new hubbies. Which means…" Suki trailed off in the hope that Sokka would be able to finish her sentence.

Sokka looked around, hoping something in their bedroom would give him the answer he needed to give Suki. He found nothing and turned back to his wife, shrugging.

Suki sighed and laughed at the same time, "Oh Sokka! It means she's pregnant too!"

Sokka's eyes grew wide immediately.

"What?! What have she and Zuko been up to then?!" he demanded to know.

But he remembered the day that Zuko had arrived at the Southern Water Tribe. He remembered what he knew had been happening in Katara's room after she had forgiven him.

"Oh… my…" He gaped, eyes wide and jaw hitting the floor.

Suki laughed, "You're not much better!" She pulled up to him and he smiled at her contently, holding her waist.

"I love you, Suki."

"I love you too."

* * *

"Alright," Zuko said after a long, comfortable silence. "I think we're going to be parents!"

"I think you're about right," Katara giggled as they sat up together.

"I also think it's time we headed down to the celebration. Dinner will be happening soon."

Katara nodded and they both got off the bed and made themselves presentable.

Katara brushed her hair to get rid of the tangles it had earned by making out with the Fire Lord. He quickly checked that both of them were wearing their clothes properly. He had to readjust the ribbon around Katara's waist to make sure it didn't look suspicious.

"I love you," she whispered, quickly pecking him on the cheek.

"I love you too," he smiled.

* * *

**And they all live happily ever after. The end! **

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Just kidding, alright? The end already?! As if! I think bloody well not! This is just the beginning folks. Don't go anywhere because the real action begins next chapter!**

**Apologies for making you all put up with the fluff and girly wedding preparation and all that talk about makeup and dresses and all that shit… but it was worth it, promise. And it won't happen again… or at least I'm not planning for it to. **

**So there, review and SERIOULY, I WAS ONLY KIDDING ABOUT IT BEING THE END! IT'S NOT! And seriously, review!**

**Oh, and JOIN TEAM ZUTARA!**


	4. We All Fall Down

**Hey dudes, welcome to the next chapter. But guys, I only got 2 reviews for last chapter, so please give me at least 3 for this one or I can't update. Please? *pouts* **

**Anyway, for those of you reading, I hope you enjoy. XD**

**

* * *

**

**4. We All Fall Down**

The party was a blast. There was dancing and music and food and drink. The congratulations for the marriages of Zuko and Katara and Sokka and Suki continued to come.

"Suki! Did you tell him?" Katara asked.

Suki nodded, "Did you tell Zuko about you?"

Katara grinned cheekily and nodded.

"How did he react?" they both asked at the same time.

"Happy."

"Shocked."

"Girls, come on, we need to go up the front," Zuko called them both to attention.

"Everybody is waiting for us!" Sokka tried to hurry them up.

They proceeded together to the front of the room, where their friends and family were waiting.

"Hey!" Hakoda pounced forward and hugged both of his children tightly. "I am so proud of you both."

"Thanks, Dad," Katara whispered.

"And I'm happy for all of you," he announced, stepping back so he could see his new son and daughter-in-law. Zuko and Suki both smiled at him.

"Come on, Zuko, you and Sokka both need to make a speech. It's tradition!" Iroh chimed.

"Oh… ok," the Fire Lord nodded.

There was a slightly raised platform at the front of the room and Zuko stood up on it so that everyone could see him. On cue, the guests went silent and looked up to him.

"Hey everyone," he started casually. "First off, I once again must thank you all for being here on behalf of all of the newlyweds." A few people around the room cheered and everyone clapped quietly. "As of now, Katara is my Fire Lady." He looked over to the beautiful waterbender girl and smiled. "And I know that she will stand by my side through everything and no matter what we will always have each other to fall back on when things get tough." A few people whistled and there were a few audible giggles over the cuteness. "I will always love Katara no matter what and I hope that each and every one of you will always know that. I hope that you will approve of us both as leaders of the Fire Nation and team members of the world." His words were met with more cheers of encouragement and approval. Everyone was smiling and everyone was happy. "And now, if you'll all give it up for Sokka!"

Zuko stepped down as the crowd roared and Sokka stepped up onto the platform, face alight and grinning.

* * *

Azula watched silently with Ursa and Yue as Sokka gave his speech. Even though she was a spirit, she could feel her heartstrings being tugged mercilessly as she watched him, listened to him, and still she knew that she could never be with him.

She turned to Yue, "Does it stop hurting after a while?"

She had her hand over her heart, so Yue knew exactly what she meant.

"I don't know. It stopped hurting really quickly for me, once I got use to the fact that I was dead. But that was only a few days, a week at the most. I don't know why it's still hurting you so much to see the one you love with someone else. I still love him, but I've let him go."

Azula lowered her head; _maybe I'm just too clingy. _

Her mother put a hand on her shoulder, "I'm sure everything will be ok in the end."

Azula smiled over her shoulder at the woman, "Thanks, Mum."

But Azula couldn't help but be curious as to why she still felt complete human emotions. She was a spirit; how was it still possible?

* * *

Zuko and Katara sat together as they watched Sokka and Suki dance. They had already had their chance to shine and they had really shown off in front of everyone. Everyone in the room had ended up seeing what good kissers each of them were. But they had no doubt that Suki and Sokka were going to get carried away any minute.

Suki twirled and fell backwards and Sokka neatly caught her. Everyone cheered and clapped. They drew their bodies up close to each other and held each other tight as they moved about the dance floor. Sokka spun his wife and pulled her back in so that she fell in his arms. It was a magical thing to watch as the song ended and – just as the Fire Lord and Lady had guessed – when Suki straightened up and came face to face with Sokka, there was only a moment in which they pondered over it. Then there was the kiss. A simple kiss at first, which slowly deepened and deepened for all eyes to see. And so everyone knew their passion for each other.

They came and joined the other couple as the rest of the guests went on with their own things at the after party.

"So, what shall we all do now?" Katara asked.

"I think it's time for some girl time," Suki said, looking at Zuko and Sokka.

"Sure thing, we'll just go and have guy time," Sokka smiled.

"Love ya," Zuko kissed Katara on the cheek and Sokka blew one to Suki as he walked off with the Fire Lord.

"Well, what a day," Sokka sighed as they walked around the room, randomly waving to whoever greeted them.

"Tell me about it. I could have sworn I was going to pass out while I was standing at that altar!"

"Me too," Sokka agreed.

They walked for a while in silence.

* * *

"This has got to be the best, most magical day of my life!" Katara squealed quietly.

Suki shushed her and giggled, "Tell me about it. I swear if I could feel this happy all the time I would never die!"

Katara smiled, "What was Sokka's expression when you told him you were pregnant?"

Suki grinned cheekily and made a few suggestive gestures. Katara started laughing loudly and a few close bystanders stared at her for a moment in shock.

"Well, how did Zuko react to you?"

"Oh… well," Katara raised her eyebrows and put her index finger to her lip in a thoughtful manner. "He took it well."

Suki had to cover her mouth to stop her from laughing but it nearly suffocated her. "He got a bit cheeky with you too, huh?"

Katara nodded.

* * *

As Zuko looked around the room as he and Sokka walked around, he noticed that there was someone missing who hadn't been missing just a little earlier. It was someone he knew, but he couldn't quite put his finger on who it could have been.

After a while, he and Sokka parted ways as Sokka went to talk to his father and grandmother. Zuko waved him off and decided that it would be a good time to just take a walk outside in the garden for a while to cool off; it was getting really stuffy in the ball room.

He stepped out of the room and into a hallway and immediately he could feel the temperature difference. He sighed as he moved along, all of his anxiety from the day finally flowing out of him. He was relaxed and happy.

He could feel someone watching him from behind and he quickly whipped around. But no one was there. Nonetheless, as he continued walking, he could feel someone watching him. He had a hunch who it was. It must just be Katara, sneaking after him to spend some alone time outside and away from the crowd and guests.

Smiling to himself, the Fire Lord walked a bit deeper into the garden. He hummed quietly to himself as he passed some rare Panda Lilies and headed over to the turtle-duck pond under the apple tree.

As he sat down, he looked over to the other side of the pond. Not far off and slightly hidden from view, he could see the memorials of his mother and sister. It brought a pang of depression and sadness to his heart. Longing overtook him for a moment as he wished so badly that they could see him at that moment, and be there with him to share the happiness of life.

_I think I'll pay them a visit… _he thought to himself as he stood up again. He walked over to the other side of the turtle-duck pond and into small area where the memorial places were. Azula's body was buried here as well, her memorial at the head of where she lay.

He knelt down between the two of them and placed a hand on each of their memorial stones.

"It all turned out ok," he smiled. "I'm really happy now and I don't think anything could go wrong from here on in."

* * *

Azula bit her lip as she watched Zuko.

"Don't be too naïve, Zuzu."

* * *

"Me and Katara are the Fire Lord and Fire Lady now. Isn't it great? We're finally married and she's already pregnant," he whispered, tears in his eyes for how much he missed his mother and Azula. He was silent for a long moment as he read the inscriptions on each of their memorial stones. "I wish you were here. I whish you could see me now."

* * *

Azula let a single tear drop into the well. But once one came, she couldn't hold back the rest.

* * *

It started raining, just lightly, but it was evident that it was going to get heavy fast.

Zuko stood up and started heading back inside. He could still feel someone watching him and he began to grow suspicious of what Katara was up to.

Over the sound of the pounding rain, Zuko didn't hear the running footsteps coming up behind him in time to see who it really was. Before he let out another squeak his world went black.

* * *

"Hey, Sokka, do you know where Mai is?" Ty Lee asked as she joined him, Hakoda and Kana.

"Um… no, I don't think so. The last time I actually saw her was just before me and Suki started dancing," he shrugged. "Why, has she disappeared or something?"

"Yea, one minute she was just talking to one of the Water Tribe men and the next she was gone… they both were."

"Wait, who do you mean,_ they_?"

"Mai and the Water Tribe boy she was talking to."

Sokka frowned for a moment and then shrugged. "I'm sure they're both fine. Don't worry, Ty Lee, they'll both show up somewhere. Who knows? Maybe Mai has a new boyfriend!" he joked.

"That could be a reasonable answer; he did seem to be pretty friendly towards her," Ty Lee said thoughtfully.

Sokka shook his head, "Whatever. Let me know when you find her… and if she's not in here somewhere, don't go and look in a bedroom… just incase you're interrupting something… special," Sokka said slyly.

Ty Lee started laughing hard, "I'm gonna tell her you said that!"

"You'll do no such thing!"

Ty Lee shook her head, "Calm down, I'm only kidding. Anyways, if I told her, she'd probably kill you! I don't think Suki would appreciate that much."

"Ha, ha."

"Well, I'm off to go and look for her a bit more," Ty Lee said as she skipped away.

* * *

Windu shut the door behind him when he finally managed to drag Zuko up to his own bedroom. He looked around, and just where he had left her, Mai lay in the bed.

Smiling to himself for his good work, he slowly lay Zuko down on the bed as well. They were both under a strong tranquilizer that wouldn't wear off for a while after the party was over, so neither of them would be waking up for another few hours.

Slowly and carefully, he took Zuko's shirt off and unzipped Mai's dress, lowering it so that the collar was showing the majority of her cleavage. He took off their shoes and carelessly placed them and Zuko's shirt around the room within a close proximity of the bed.

Windu moved Mai so that she was lying with her head on the pillow, her legs spread out suggestively. He made Zuko lie on top of her, one arm on her hip, the other half way up her dress. He moved one of her arms to be placed on Zuko's back and the other by her head. It was the perfect disguise for a love scene that should never have occurred. This was exactly what he was supposed to have done.

_Long Feng and the Admiral will be pleased._

And before anyone could discover that he had anything to do with it, he disappeared.

* * *

"Hey, Sokka, do you know where Zuko is?" Katara asked as she and Suki walked up to him. It was well and truly past midnight and the majority of the guests and partiers had already left to go and get rest for the next day's journey back home.

"Um… no, not since I started hanging with Dad and Gran-Gran. He went for a walk in the gardens if I remember correctly," Sokka answered.

He yawned widely and Suki leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder and shutting her tired eyes. He wrapped his arms gently around her and sighed, "I think it's about time we headed off to bed. It's been a late night and one big day."

She looked at him and smiled and he gently kissed her on the lips.

"Come on, let's go to bed."

The only ones left in the ball room other than Sokka, Suki and Katara were Ty Lee, Iroh, Aang, and Toph. Toph was fast asleep and Aang looked like he was pretty close to joining her.

"Yea, I think it's bedtime for everyone," Katara nodded.

She headed over to Toph but her head lifted up before she had a chance to be shaken awake.

"Am I still here?"

"Yup, you fell asleep talking to Aang," Katara giggled. Aang looked sleepily up at her.

"Come on you guys, bedtime," Suki said.

"Yea, I think Zuko's already headed off. Poor Katara, first night after the wedding and he didn't even say goodnight to you or give you a goodnight kiss," Sokka teased putting and arm around his little sister.

"I'm sure he's got a good explanation."

"Ok, are we all heading off now?" Ty Lee asked sleepily as she and Iroh came to join the small group of people who were still in the room.

"Yea, it's late. We should probably be getting to bed right about now," Sokka nodded.

Ty Lee and Iroh yawned widely at the same time and both started laughing.

With that, Ty Lee left, "Goodnight guys!"

Toph and Aang got up and headed off to where their rooms were with a small wave and yawn for a goodnight to their other companions and to each other as they headed their separate ways.

Iroh walked with Sokka, Suki and Katara up to their rooms.

"So, where do you think Zuko did disappear off to?" Suki asked as they neared the room of the man in question to drop off Katara.

The new Fire Lady shrugged, "Wouldn't have a clue. But if he went for a walk in the garden, I hope he didn't fall asleep out there. I could tell it was raining earlier. If he fell asleep out there, he'd probably be soaked by now!" she laughed.

Suki and Sokka laughed too. Iroh rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"Jeez, it sure has been a while since I last stayed up so late for a party," he chuckled.

"Ok, goodnight Katara," Sokka sighed as he hugged her briefly and she opened her bedroom door. The others continued walking down the corridor to make their way to their own rooms.

But when Katara had looked into the bedroom and realized that the first thing she saw was two people in the bed, she knew something was very, very wrong. She froze in the doorway and looked a little closer, letting the light from the hallway illuminate the room and the bed. And she realized what was happening.

"Oh… my… Gods…" Katara said in disbelief. She was begging that her eyes were deceiving her as she blinked, hoping the image would change. But it wouldn't. She knew it wasn't going to. And as the sleeping couple began to stir, the light spilling in from the door disturbing them, it became all the more real to her.

Zuko and Mai opened their eyes, confused, sleepy and uncertain all at once.

Sokka, Suki and Iroh stopped when they heard Katara's disbelieving voice and watched as she looked into the room, her eyes showing all of her hurt and pain that was coming straight from her heart.

"Katara…?" Sokka stepped back towards his sister, knowing that what he was about to discover was not going to be good.

Suki and Iroh followed him back to the doorway and as they all look into the room to see what was devastating Katara, they all gasped in shock.

Zuko sleepily mumbled, unaware of his surroundings, "I don't remember falling asleep here…"

He shut his eyes again and lay his head back down on Mai's shoulder. Suddenly, her eyes flew open and she turned her head to look at him.

"Zuko?! What the –"

Zuko gasped and sat up quickly, "Mai?!"

"Zuko…"

"Katara?!" He turned to see her and the others in the doorway.

"Wait, what happened?!" Mai asked in panic. This was one really sticky situation, and the worst of it was that she couldn't remember a thing of how it had occurred.

"What do you think you're doing?" Katara asked Zuko, unable to speak in anything more than a whisper.

"I…Katara… please…I …" Zuko tried to find some sort of explanation as to why he was sleeping with Mai, with his shirt off, her dress unzipped and his hand up her dress as he sat up properly.

Mai sat up as well, shutting her legs and blushing madly. "Katara…" She looked at the girl, unable to speak anything more.

She shook her head slowly at them both as the tears started to run down her cheeks; tears of fury, pain and heartbreak.

"Katara, please…" Zuko stood up and took a step towards her. But before he could get any closer, she ran. Heavy sobs trailed after her as she went, not wanting to let them – and especially not _him – _see her cry.

"Katara!" he cried after her, running towards his door, but Sokka stopped him before he could pass.

"Stop it, ok?! Just leave her alone!" he yelled at him. Zuko looked at him pleadingly, but Sokka's expression didn't soften. "How could you, Zuko?! You only just married her and you're cheating on her?!"

"Sokka, please, it's not what it looks like! I swear, I would never –"

"SHUT UP!" Sokka yelled, Zuko stepped back from him, scared of what the boy would do to him. "Stay the hell away from my sister, you man-whore! You can keep your little girlfriend for a side-dish for a girl who doesn't care if you cheat on her!"

With that, Sokka grabbed Suki's by the arm and huffed away. She glared back at Zuko over her shoulder as they went in the general direction Katara had run off in.

Zuko stared after them for a moment, shocked and afraid and completely unsure of what was happening. He turned back to Mai.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked, begging himself to keep calm. But he just couldn't keep the fear out of his voice.

"I don't know! I don't remember coming in here… or doing anything with you!" she said, tears of her own beginning to drip down her cheeks.

"What the hell happened?!" he wanted to know.

"I don't know!"

They glared at each other for a moment. Then, Zuko leant back against the doorframe and gently slid down to the ground, his head in his hands as he began to sob. He didn't know exactly what had just happened or how it had happened. All he knew was that after he blacked out in the garden, he woke up to find himself in bed with his ex-girlfriend and his new wife had walked in on them. And now Katara hated him and was really heartbroken. Along with that, Sokka wouldn't hear his side of the story and he was sure that Suki wouldn't either.

"Oh, my Gods… what have I done?!"

As Mai stood up, she fixed her dress up properly and flattened it out. She looked at Zuko, pity and sorrow in her eyes along with pain of her own. She still loved Zuko, but she had promised herself that she would let go of him and move on with her life. She and Katara had started to become friends, and as much as she wanted Zuko to be hers, she wouldn't steal him from the one he had just married. Now, only hours after the vows, the promises, the kiss, the whole marriage, something had happened and Katara was not happy with Zuko at all. And if Mai wasn't quite mistaken, neither were the others. She highly doubted that they were happy with her either.

Zuko was almost crying; he knew the damage this was doing to Katara's heart and it was having a similar effect on him. The worst of it was that he didn't know what had really happened and no one would listen to his side of the story anyway.

"Zuko…"

Zuko looked up to his uncle. The man's eyes were practically begging him to tell him that it was just a bad dream. He was begging Zuko to come and pinch him and wake him up from this nightmare.

_My own nephew… he's better than this… I'd never have thought he would do something so insensitive, or so __**stupid**__._

Iroh was really hurting inside and he was already starting to blame it on himself. After all, how could he not feel it was partially his fault? He had basically fathered the boy!

"Uncle… please, listen to me. I swear, I don't know how this happened. Mai and I never did anything together since after I went to the South Pole to find Katara. I swear I would never cheat on Katara!"

Iroh looked at his nephew. He wanted to believe it, every word he was saying, and in the back of his mind, he did. But it just didn't make sense that he didn't know how he ended up in bed with Mai. There was no other explanation evident to help Zuko out of this situation. He had been cheating on Katara.

"Zuko, how could you?"

It hurt. But no, that was an understatement – it killed. His own uncle didn't believe him. Iroh was the man Zuko had looked to every time he needed help with something. And just then, the moment when he needed help more than ever, his uncle wouldn't trust him.

Zuko put his head down again and tried to contain the sobbing that was shaking his body. But there was no stopping the tears as Iroh walked away, silently up to his room.

He was shocked and he didn't know what to do. He knew that Zuko often made bad choices or did things without thinking them through to consider the consequences. But in all his years he had never done anything as foolish as this.

_I taught you better… I failed._

_

* * *

_

That was it. Azula couldn't stop crying and she knew she wouldn't be able to for a very long time. This just wasn't fair on them, on him.

She knew the truth and so did Yue and Ursa. They'd all seen what had really happened and knew how each person really felt about one another. And at that moment, Zuko really hated himself and he was really confused and sad. Mai was upset. Iroh was confused and disappointed. Sokka was so, so angry. Suki was trying desperately to comfort Katara – she felt so sorry for her. And Katara was so heartbroken that it was never going to be something that, once resolved, they could all look back on and laugh at. It wasn't like trying to kill someone one day and then joining them and laughing about how stupid they were for not joining sooner the next. This was an issue that would remain a permanent, emotional scar for the rest of her life.

Azula wished so badly that she could tell them what was happening. She wanted to tell them Shang and Long Feng's plans. She wanted to tell them what Windu had done, and why he had done it. She wanted them to just be happy like they had been, only precious minutes ago.

* * *

Zuko sat there for hours in the doorway and Mai came and sat beside him, shutting the door as she did, so that anyone who walked past would not interrupt them.

"Zuko? What do you want to do about this?"

He slowly lifted his head to look at her and looked sadly at her, "Mai, I'm not sure there is anything I _can_ do."

She looked with her expression strangely emptier than usual and slowly and gently wrapped her arms around him, hugging him in an effort to comfort him. But he pulled away – he was under enough suspicion of being in a relationship with Mai as it was. But he knew that she was only trying to comfort him.

* * *

Katara fell asleep in her brother's arms. Suki was still stroking her back as they sat out in the garden under the apple tree next to the turtle-duck pond while it poured down rain. Her eyes were puffy from her crying and tears were stained all over her face. They were all soaked through and shivering.

"I can't believe he'd do something so senseless. He's such a prick! I should have known he'd do something like this!" Sokka cursed.

Suki sat in thought. She would never have guessed something like this from Zuko. It just didn't seem at all like him.

"I don't know why, but I kinda think there's something wrong."

"Oh, well, let's see. My sister's new husband is cheating on her with his ex. Is there any obvious hint that there's something wrong?" he asked sarcastically, keeping his voice low although Katara wouldn't have woken anyway.

"No, that's not what I mean. I mean there was something wrong when we walked in on Zuko and Mai. It just seemed like… it wasn't meant to happen and they didn't know it had happened."

"Suki, what world are you in? Zuko cheated on Katara and that little bitch, Mai, was the one he was cheating with. There's nothing more to it – they're both just a couple of good-for-nothing pricks!"

Suki silenced herself. She knew that Sokka didn't mean anything against her – he was just all angry and confused because someone had upset his little sister so severely and caused her almost unbearable heartbreak. But he was so caught up in being angry that he wasn't looking at the possibilities of what might have really happened.

In all honesty, Suki was absolutely furious about all of this as well. She wanted to kill Zuko. But she could smell a rat. There was something happening that no one else knew about and it was something bad.

* * *

**Ta da! Did ya like it? I sure hope you did, because I **_**need**_** you all to review – like I said earlier, I only got two reviews for last chapter. Not good enough! I want at least three (3) reviews for this one, or no updates! Got it? **

**But you know I love you guys. **

**Anyway, tell me what you thought. I really do hope you liked it. And yes, review.**

**Oh, by the way JOIN TEAM ZUTARA!!!**


	5. Seeing is Believing

**Sorry for the long wait. Had a very busy week :P I hope this makes up for it and remember, review or I can't update! At least 3 reviews, please! Thank you, and please make sure you enjoy reading ;)**

**BTW, everybody go and check out the story "The Necklace" by She-Poe, because it's a really fantastic story so far and it needs more reviewers than just me. C'moooooon guys!**

**

* * *

**

**5. Seeing is Believing**

It was very early in the morning when Toph woke up. As she stretched and quickly made herself presentable, she wondered what time it had been when she had fallen asleep. She was still very tired, but she had woken up needing the bathroom and just couldn't drift off again.

As soon as she stepped out of her bedroom, she knew something was wrong. Very wrong. She wondered what it was as she walked around the Fire Nation palace.

Toph made her way to the kitchen. No one was around, so she helped herself to some apples that had been picked from the tree in the garden. She drank a glass of milk and sighed – her throat was all dry from last night.

It was eight o'clock when she left he kitchen and made her was back towards her bedroom. On second thoughts, she passed her room and headed for Zuko and Katara's room. An early morning surprise wouldn't hurt. She was in the mood for mischief.

But with every step she took, that feeling that something was terribly wrong grew and grew. By the time she was at the end of the corridor of their bedroom, she could have sworn someone had died. But she could see into the room from where she stood and there was no one in the bed. Instead, Zuko and Mai sat just inside the door.

Toph was thoroughly confused. Mai was fast asleep, her head resting gently on Zuko's shoulder. She seemed worse for wear as she slept, restless and miserable.

Zuko was awake, and Toph could sense in his heartbeat as she drew closer that something definitely _was_ wrong. His heart was broken and he seemed to be numb, unmoving and in some sort of trance. Wide awake but lost in a dream. He was thinking deeply and he was hurting.

Katara was nowhere in the room. This couldn't be good.

Toph bit her lip as she knocked on the door. She sensed Zuko's head shoot up when he heard it. Gently, he lifted Mai up and lay her back down on the bed, slightly grudgingly. He walked over to the door and opened it a crack.

"It's me, Firefly," she whispered before he had seen her.

"Toph? Oh, thank the Spirits…" he sighed as he opened the door.

"I could tell the moment I stepped out of my room that something was wrong, and now you're going to tell me what," she said.

"Ok, but we've gotta be quiet. I don't wanna wake Mai up," he looked over his shoulder to the girl sleeping on his bed.

"C'mon," she took his hand. "We'll go to my room."

Toph led the Fire Lord back to her bedroom and they shut the door behind them when they were in. They sat on the bed and immediately, Zuko thought of the day he confessed to this girl that he loved Katara. She had let him lean on her the whole time for the past few months through his losses and pains. And now she was there for him once again, right when he needed her most.

"I don't know what happened. I was just walking in the gardens and I just blacked out. The next thing I knew, I was waking up. Katara, Sokka, Suki and Uncle were in the doorway and I was on top of Mai. We were in my bedroom and I had no idea how it had happened. Neither of us could remember a thing. Katara ran off crying, thinking that I was cheating on her. Sokka yelled at me and wouldn't let me go after her to try and explain and he and Suki went off after her to try and comfort her. Uncle wouldn't believe me when I told him that I didn't know what had happened. He just walked off. And now Katara and everyone else hate me and she's sad and crying and I don't know what to do!" he explained quickly, his voice raising by half an octave as the last word passed his lips.

Toph listened carefully. There was no sign of a lie in his heartbeat, only the signs of uncertainty, sorrow and heartbreak.

"Mai stayed with me last night. We tried to figure out what had happened, just between the two of us. But nothing made sense. We have no idea of how we ended up like that and no explanation for the others. All I know is that I love Katara, and I would never dream of doing something to hurt her."

"Firefly, listen. I know you're telling the truth the whole way through just then; I couldn't detect the slightest hint of a lie. But, are you absolutely sure you don't know how you and Mai ended up on top of each other?" she asked.

"I'm absolutely positive!" His voice was starting to break as he spoke. It quavered dangerously, threatening to let him lose control and fall apart. But he couldn't, and Toph wouldn't let him, not just yet.

"Zuko, do you know why you blacked out while you were out in the garden?"

He shook his head, unable to speak this time for fear of not having an understandable voice.

Toph put a hand on her head. All this excitement so early in the morning after such a restless night wasn't doing her good.

She sighed, "Don't stress over it. We'll figure something out," she promised.

Zuko nodded, lips trembling as Toph wrapped her arms around him.

He cried silent tears onto her shoulder for a long while before they both nodded back off to sleep.

* * *

It was almost noon when Katara woke up. She was in her brother's room. She could tell because he and Suki were laying either side of her, fast asleep in their bed.

_They must have carried me inside after I fell asleep._

She sat up quietly, trying to flatten the creases in her damp wedding dress. Suki was still in hers too and as the Kyoshi Warrior rolled over to face Katara, she opened her eyes.

"Oh, well good morning," she smiled weakly.

"What's so good about it?" Katara sighed.

Suki pulled her back down to lie on the bed again. "Now, you listen to me, Katara, and you listen damn well. Everything is going to be ok. We're going to figure this out and Zuko and Mai are going to get what they deserve. But we've got to get all of our facts straight before we do anything. Now you stay strong and lean on me and Sokka. We'll tell Aang and Toph what's happened and if you want, we can tell your Dad and Grandmother. Listen, Katara, we're all here for you whenever you need us. And we're going to get to the bottom of this together."

Katara smiled, "Thanks Suki. I don't know what to do about this though. We only just got married and he's already cheating on me. What's everyone going to say when they find out?"

Katara waited for an answer, but when she looked back at the Kyoshi Warrior, she found she had fallen asleep again.

She closed her eyes and let a tear trickle down her nose. It was painful and she half whished she hadn't found out that Zuko and Mai were together secretly. What she didn't know couldn't hurt her, and at that moment, the pain of knowing that Zuko was cheating on her hurt so much she whished she hadn't found out.

* * *

Azula felt numb as she watched the morning pass. Slowly and painfully for those who knew what was going on, or at least thought they did, heartbreaking for the ones who it affected most. But no one was hurt more than her brother, at least not in her eyes.

He had lost Katara because of this. She thought he was cheating on her. But he wasn't and he knew that. He didn't know how he and Mai had ended up in bed together. He had no idea of what Windu had done. He had no idea of what Shang and Long Feng were planning. And he was absolutely clueless as to what would happen next. Uncle didn't believe his innocence. Sokka didn't want him anywhere near his sister. Suki was so suspicious of him and the glare she had given him stung. Mai and Toph were the only ones who believed him and only because Mai was the one who had been caught with Zuko and she knew as much as he did, and Toph could tell he wasn't lying because of his heartbeat.

But Azula knew the full truth. She knew more than any of them. She knew what had really happened, not just that it wasn't like what the others thought. She knew who was behind it and she knew why he was behind it.

What hurt most was that she couldn't tell them what she knew. She was dead; a spirit to watch over them, not to be one of them. And that's why, when she was added to the picture, she was the one who hurt most because she could feel all of their pain.

* * *

It was mid afternoon when Sokka, Suki and a very depressed Katara got up. They headed down to the kitchen, hopping not to run into the wrong people for fear of Katara bursting into tears again. But as they entered the dinning room, they found that Aang was the only one in there.

"Hey guys! What's –?" He stopped short when he saw Katara. Her eyes were still red and swollen from all of her crying and her expression sad and full of pain.

"W…What happened?" he asked curiously.

Katara bit her lip; she couldn't say it. Aang stood up from where he sat and walked over to the group. He looked around to the other faces to try and figure out what was up.

He looked to Sokka and then to Suki and then to…

"Wait… where's Zuko?" he asked, looking back to Katara.

Her eyes filled with water so quickly that he could have sworn she was keeping the ocean in them. She started to sob heavily and fell do her knees in tears.

"Katara! What's wrong?!" He bent down and hugged her tightly, trying to comfort her. It hurt him so much to see her cry. He wanted her to tell him what was going on and trust in him to make it better.

"Katara, do you just want us to tell him?" Suki whispered.

The waterbender nodded meekly as she cried onto Aang's shoulder.

"Aang," Sokka started sternly. "Zuko's been cheating on Katara… with Mai."

The Avatar's eyes widened in disbelief. Disbelief turned to suspicion, and suspicion turned to anger as Aang understood the full extent of what Zuko had done.

"What?! But- but why?! They only just got married and Mai is his ex! He loved Katara! Why would he do something so heartless and cruel and – and – and…" Aang trailed off as angry, hateful tear came to his eyes. _Zuko, you bastard!_

"Why?" he asked again.

"We don't know," Suki sighed as she knelt down beside Katara and stroked her back.

"Yes, I think we do. Zuko's a man-whore and he just doesn't know when is too far!" Sokka proclaimed angrily.

Sokka's eyes were filled with rage and Aang knew that his were too. His heart was burning – the girl he loved, he'd sworn to let go of. He still loved Katara, but he wanted her to be happy. She was happy with Zuko, so he'd let her go so that she could be. But now Zuko had torn her down and betrayed her… again.

Aang felt like he had made his sacrifice for nothing. Zuko had done something terrible and Aang would make sure he would pay for every tear Katara shed. Aang would be there for her and when she was over Zuko, he was let her come to him with open arms.

"It's ok, Katara, we're here for you." He stroked her hair and rubbed her back. "What exactly happened?"

* * *

Toph spoke with Mai after she and Zuko woke up again. Mai seemed to know only about as much as Zuko did, and there was as much truth in what she was telling her as there was in what Zuko had said.

"The guy asked me to go for a walk with him and so I did…" She was blushing slightly as she told them of what had happened at the after-party. "We went outside and started talking. He seemed friendly and I thought maybe we could get along." At this point, she shot a meek glance at Zuko. "I thought we might even be able to be more than just friends…" Her head hung for a moment. "But then he suddenly got up and said he needed to go, and he just ran back inside. I just sat there… I wasn't so sure what had just happened. But before he came back… that's if he was planning on coming back… someone snuck up behind me and knocked me out." Mai explained the whole scenario from her point of view. Toph and Zuko listened carefully.

"What was his name?" Toph asked quickly.

"I…" Mai's face suddenly held a faint trace of emotion, other than the confusion the morning and previous night had caused her – anger. "No! He didn't tell me his name…" she sighed, frustrated. That was all she needed. The guy she thought maybe she could be with hadn't even told her his name, and he might have been able to help them solve this case. Maybe he'd seen whoever it was that snuck up on her as he left and they came. But without a name, and because she wasn't confident with remembering a face, she doubted she'd be able to find him again.

They left their room at one point, deciding it was time to have something to eat.

Zuko, Toph and Mai were about to walk into the kitchen when Toph put an arm out to stop them.

"Toph?" he asked hoarsely.

"They're in there. Aang too. Katara's crying and Sokka and Suki are telling him how they found you guys and what happened."

Mai sighed, "Please let them figure it out."

"What should we do?" Zuko asked the blind girl.

"You two wait here; I'm gonna go and talk to them… maybe you should actually go wait over somewhere else, just incase someone storms out and decides to beat you up, Zuko."

They both knew that by "someone" she meant Sokka. But they agreed that it was their best option. They walked back away from the kitchen and sat in a living room to wait and see what Toph could do for them.

Toph took a deep breath and opened the kitchen door.

"Hey guys," she greeted them bluntly. Everyone but Katara – who was still crying onto Aang's shoulder – looked over to her, guessing that she already knew about what had happened.

"I can't believe he'd do something so stupid!" Sokka shouted.

"Yea, I mean poor Katara! They hadn't even been married for twenty-four hours!" Aang grizzled.

"It was so insensitive… and you should have seen Katara's face when she walked into the room," Suki sighed.

Katara continued to sob quietly onto Aang's shoulder as he held her tightly.

"Katara, be quiet a second! Everyone, listen up," Toph called, using as much power as she could over her friends. "I knew as soon as I stepped out of my room this morning that something was up. When I found Zuko and Mai in his room they were both upset. Mai was still asleep but Zuko was awake and he told me his side of the story. He told me he didn't have a clue about how he and Mai had ended up together like that and guess what. He was telling the truth, because I didn't detect the slightest hint of a lie."

They looked at her and Katara did her best to silence herself as she turned around.

"W…what?"

"I was talking to him this morning and he told me what happened. He wasn't lying about what he said; he didn't cheat on you, Katara."

"Then how the hell did he and Mai end up in the same bed?!" Sokka exploded, being completely unreasonable.

"I- I don't know! All I know is –"

"You're just as bad as him, Toph!"

"What?!"

"You're sticking up for him! You know that he did the wrong thing, but you're sticking up for him anyway! This is exactly like when he first tried to join our group; we all knew what he was like, but you insisted that he was serious about what he was saying! You're sticking up for him now, even though he's wrong and we're right! How could you?! You're just as sick as he is!"

"I am not sick! And neither is he! Sokka, stop being stupid and listen to me for a sec!"

"No Toph, Sokka's right!" Aang started, holding Katara. "What Zuko did is unforgivable, and you sticking up for him makes you as bad as he is!"

"Both of you are being absolutely stupid! Just listen to me for a moment and –"

"Why are you sticking up for him?! I thought we were friends, Toph! How could you side with him like this?!" Katara sobbed.

"Katara, I –"

"It's because he treats you as if you were family. You think of him as if he and you are best friends or something and you'd side with each other no matter what! You're only doing this because you think you know him and you think you're close to him – closer to him than any of us! But you're not! And you siding with him like this is just stupid!"

"Sokka! How could you say that?!" she cried, losing her temper.

"Because it's true!"

"No, it's not!" she shouted.

"It is! Jeez Toph, I thought you were better than this! But I guess I was wrong!"

"Sokka –"

"Just get out! If you believe in him so much, then why are you _here_?!"

Toph shut up. She closed her mouth and stared blindly and sadly at Sokka. She had thought these people were her friends. She had thought they would believe her. But in the end, they were the blind ones.

"You're all overreacting," she started again, slowly, steadily. "The only reason you don't believe me is because you're not like me. You're not blind and you don't know how to listen to a heartbeat like I do."

"Toph, stop being ridiculous; this has nothing to do with the way you earthbend," Aang scolded her.

"Zuko's innocent, and so is Mai! The only reason you don't believe it is because you can't see it!"

"Seeing is believing, Toph," Katara glowered.

"No, it's not! Not in this case! Not when things can't be explained!"

"Toph! Stop acting as if you know what you're talking about! Zuko's a sick fuck and he cheated on Katara! There's nothing that's going to change that, not even what you say!" Sokka yelled at her.

She felt something; a harsh jolt in her heart. They didn't trust her – they thought she was the enemy. She hated the feeling. It really hurt. But just then, she knew that she wouldn't be able to convince them. Except… Suki hadn't said anything the whole time. Toph listened to her heartbeat, concentrating on it hard.

Toph realized something – Suki knew that Toph was right… well, she didn't know, but she knew that there was something more to Mai and Zuko sleeping together than they were simply together behind Katara's back. She could smell a rat.

Toph sighed. She couldn't talk to Suki now, not without causing the others to not trust her as well.

"If that's the way you're going to be…" She shrugged helplessly. With that, she turned and left the kitchen.

* * *

Iroh walked down from his room, sleepily. It had been a rough night after finding Mai and Zuko together. The retired General couldn't get the thought out of his head.

As he walked towards the kitchen, hopping for a pot of tea, he passed a living room and noticed two silent figures, sitting on two of the chairs. He poked his head into the room, only to find it was Zuko and Mai. They looked up at him when he stepped in.

"Uncle?" Zuko whispered, standing up.

"Zuko… please, just tell me it was just all a bad dream for me," he begged.

"How could you not believe me the first time?!" He voice was hysterical; Iroh had never known his nephew to get like this. "Don't you trust me?! I love Katara! I would never do something like that to her!"

"Zuko, calm down. Things are going to turn out fine. We've got Toph on our side after all," Mai spoke.

Zuko bit his lip and sat down, his hands running through his hair.

"Mr. Iroh, we promise you that we didn't get together behind anyone's back. Neither of us have any idea how we ended up the way we did, all we know is that we never meant for it to happen," Mai explained bluntly, leaning back in her chair as she examined her nails, bored.

Iroh hesitated. He came and sat down with the two teenagers, but he remained silent until Ty Lee joined them.

"Hey guy!" she greeted them cheerily. Her smile faded when she saw their glum expressions. "Guys?"

Zuko sighed in time with Mai.

"It was a rough night," Iroh explained. "We have no idea what the full story is."

Ty Lee looked at Mai and Zuko in confusion. Everyone jumped as the kitchen door could be heard slamming. Toph dragged herself into the living room and sighed, plopping herself down miserably on the couch, next to Zuko. He put an arm around her and hugged her.

"Any luck?"

"No, none whatsoever." There was a pause. "I can't believe them. They won't believe me, no matter what I say. They reckon they need to see it to believe it."

"What?" Mai sounded indignant. This was no surprise – who wouldn't feel indignant after being accused of stealing another girl's new husband.

"Wait, what's going on?" Ty Lee asked.

"We don't exactly know," Mai sighed. "Last night, that guy I was talking to went for a walk with me and… I dunno, he had to leave me for a moment and he ran off and while he was gone… I just passed out I guess. I thought I heard someone coming up behind me, but I didn't get a chance to see who. And then, the next thing I know, I was waking up and Zuko was on top of me and we were both in his bed with Katara and the others in the doorway gawking at us."

"Yea, I was just walking in the garden because I needed a breather and I just blacked out. I woke up and I was on top of Mai. Katara ran off crying and Sokka started yelling at me and I had no idea what had happened!"

Ty Lee looked between them all in shock. This really was a horrible thing to happen and she had no idea how she was suppose to handle it. It was depressing really, to know that your friends didn't trust you.

_Poor Toph, that's unfair that they only don't believe her because they can't see it like she can._

But Ty Lee believed her. There had to be a logical explanation to what had happened. Zuko and Mai had told their stories and said that they couldn't remember anything and Toph knew they weren't lying. What choice did Ty Lee have? Why wouldn't she believe them?

"Don't worry, you guys. We'll figure something out! There has to be an explanation!"

Mai, Zuko, Toph and Iroh smiled at her enthusiasm and certainty. She always knew how to put a smile on someone's face.

* * *

It wasn't until Aang, Katara, Sokka and Suki left the kitchen, casting horrible glances at Zuko, Mai and Toph as they passed them, that the accused couple, Iroh, Toph and Ty Lee went in. Iroh brewed a pot of ginseng tea and Toph sat between a silent Mai and Zuko. Ty Lee sat across from them and Iroh joined her once he'd passed around cups of tea.

"So, how are we going to figure this one out?" Toph asked the room in general.

Mai shrugged, "Who knows…"

"Are you two absolutely sure you don't know how this happened?" Iroh looked between Mai and Zuko sternly.

Mai just sighed and shook her head. But Zuko quickly scrutinized his uncle's face. There was that wrinkle at his brow and the playful gleam that was usually in his eyes was nowhere to be found. He still had doubts about how innocent they were. Inside, Zuko flared up, and he couldn't suppress his anger.

Growling angrily, he stood up, "WHY DON'T YOU BELIEVE US?!" he yelled, angry tears gleaming in his eye. "WHY ARE YOU SIDING WITH THEM?!"

"Zuko! I'm not siding with them! I just want to be sure that you guys are in the right here!" Iroh insisted, but Zuko could still see his doubt, plain as day.

The Fire Lord pressed his trembling lips tightly together, as if it would help stop them moving so violently. He slowly shook his head in disbelief of his uncle and swatted his cup of tea over, letting the content spill out over the table as he stormed out of the room.

"Zuko! Come back!" Mai and Ty Lee stood up quickly, but Toph and Iroh grabbed them quickly.

"Just leave him!"

Iroh sighed, "He just needs a moment to cool off. It'll all be fine after that."

Toph was practically fuming as she sat back down, "You had to go and ask, didn't you?"

"Hey, I'm only trying to make sure everyone's being completely honest!" Iroh defensively put up his hands.

"That's what I'm here for!" Toph cried indignantly, standing up. "I can tell when people are lying or keeping something secret! I'm the master of telling how someone is feeling! I already told you that they're not keeping anything and that they're not lying about anything!"

"Toph, I was just –"

But she was already out of the room, following after Zuko.

* * *

"What was the big idea?!" Aang's voice startled Zuko as he passed down the hall. He had been hoping to sit by the turtle-duck pond to calm himself down and clear his head. But obviously, the Avatar didn't want to leave him in peace any time soon.

"What was the big idea of what? Not being able to tell the truth without being accused of lying?!" Zuko shot back at him. He was siding with Sokka and Katara, deeming him a cheat, a liar and a man-whore. It was infuriating. "Aang! You know I'm not like that!"

"How can I be sure?!" Aang yelled. "Zuko, you've broken her heart! She's fallen apart because of you once before because of that whole arranged marriage thing with Mai, maybe you should have just gotten married to _her_ anyway! At least it would have saved Katara from getting all that false hope when you went back for her and then it would have saved her the heartbreak when she found out that you and Mai were together again!"

Rage was written all over Aang's face, and at the back of his mind, Zuko reminded himself that this kid was the Avatar and that if he said the wrong thing, he may well end up sending him into the Avatar state.

"Aang! Stop it! I'M NOT THAT KIND OF PERSON!" he shouted, somehow fighting back the tears in his eyes. He dropped his voice so suddenly that Aang was shocked, but he wouldn't let that show. "I'm not that kind of person," he repeated. "Aang, I would never do something so horrible to Katara… I wouldn't do that to anyone! I don't get why you people can't just understand that!" As quickly as his voice had dropped, it shot back up.

"Whatever, Zuko," he spat.

"Whatever, yourself! Aang! How can you not believe him?! How can you not believe me when I'm telling you?!" Toph's voice didn't startle either of them. It was almost as if she had arrived right on cue. "If you aren't willing to believe that Zuko isn't as much of a jerk as this whole thing makes him look like, then move along!"

Aang gave her a cold look, and she knew it, even though she was blind. But Toph remained unflinching. Soon enough, Aang decided he'd had enough and left.

"Are you ok?" she sighed to Zuko, once Aang had been gone for about a minute.

He nodded silently.

"Look, thing's will turn out alright," she promised, "and I'm sure the only reason your uncle is still in doubt is because he wasn't actually involved. The only people who should have no doubts about this are you and Mai. The only reason I'm in the picture too, is because I can tell you're telling the truth because of your heartbeats. Ty Lee's just the trusting type. Mai's her best friend and she grew up with both of you, so she knows that there's something wrong about the whole situation, and the fact that I'm on your side makes her even more certain that you're innocent."

Fire Lord Zuko still didn't speak. He just stared blankly at her, trying to take in everything that was happening around him.

"If it makes you feel any better," Toph started hesitantly. "Suki can smell a rat. The whole time I was trying to convince them that you and Mai were innocent, she didn't say a word. I listened to her heartbeat for a bit and I can tell that she thinks there's more to this than you were cheating on Katara with Mai. I couldn't say anything to her straight off because the others were there, but I'm going to try and catch her alone at some point and talk to her and tell her what you and Mai told me."

Zuko smiled faintly at her and nodded, "Thanks Toph. I owe you one."

"No worries, Firefly," she smirked. She stepped towards him and hugged him. He hugged her back and she followed him outside. They sat together, silently by the turtle-duck pond.

* * *

Azula's eyes were red and dry from crying. It was an unusual case for a spirit to be in and Ursa and Yue were both shocked.

As the sun had risen in the human world, Azula had met a spirit of someone else she had known. Lu Ten had only stayed a little while for the girls to explain to him what had happened, and then swap stories with Azula about what their deaths had been like. It hadn't done much good, if he had been trying to get her mind off her brother's situation, but it brought her some comfort to know that there were other spirits up there that she knew.

"Well, I'd better move along then, hadn't I?" he smirked. "Take care of yourself, La!" He gave her a quick hug, then one to Ursa and a flashy smile to Yue before he left, disappearing into the clouds that were like walls around where the three women always seemed to linger, next to the well.

"Is there more to the Spirit World that just this place?" she asked. She'd never been beyond the walls of cloud that surrounded the well and she hadn't really seen any other spirits until just then with Lu Ten.

"Yes!" Ursa almost laughed, glad to have something else to talk about. "Very much. The Spirit World is even bigger than the mortal world. All of the spirits of good people are close to us here, and all of the bad spirits are in another realm. The only way we can access that other realm is if the gods let it be. But you can't ask the gods – they come to you and only if they need to. When Avatar Aang was calling me and Yue for help, just after you died, to help him and his friends with their battle, we thought that _he_ was a god at first!"

Azula frowned for a moment. "Mum, why didn't I come into the Spirit World as soon as I died? I didn't get here until after we helped defeat Dad and that whole thing happened with Zuko and Mai and Katara."

Ursa looked thoughtful and so did Yue.

"That's a good question. I've thought of it a few times myself. Maybe the gods just chose to keep your spirit in the mortal world because you were just going to be called back there in a moment anyway," she shrugged. "Who knows?"

Azula nodded slowly and turned back to the well as she finally caught a glimpse of Windu, sneaking around after Aang.

"Here we go again…"

* * *

Aang huffed as he stormed around. He was planning to find Katara, Sokka and Suki again, but they weren't in Sokka and Suki's room. So he wandered around the palace in search of them, hoping not to run into anyone he didn't want to see just then.

For a moment, as he walked down a hall that was going to lead to Zuko's room, he thought he heard footsteps behind him. Aang quickly turned around, expecting to see Zuko. But no one was there. Shaking his head, he kept walking. The footsteps didn't start again as he ducked his head around the corner of Zuko's room. Katara wasn't in there, and thankfully, neither was anyone else – not even Zuko himself.

With a sigh, Aang changed his course. Maybe Katara had gone with Sokka and Suki to tell her father what had happened and they were over at the housing units. Maybe Gran-Gran Kana was soothing her and telling her she'd find someone else. Maybe Chief Hakoda was getting angry and ready to explode. Maybe he was plotting revenge for his daughter, with Sokka helping him.

Well, Aang could help with that, and he would do so with much pleasure. He couldn't stand the thought of letting Zuko get away with breaking Katara's heart. And now that he thought about it, Mai needed punishing too.

_But me and Mai had been talking… we had both agreed we would let go of them. Why has she lied to me?! She told me she was letting go of him, just like I was letting go of Katara! Urgh! She's just as bad as Zuko!_

But before his thoughts could travel any further on that matter, he heard a scuffle of feet behind him. He turned around in time to see a flash of blue, and then his world went black.

The next time Aang woke up, he was looking into three faces.

One was a Water Tribe warrior who had come to the wedding with Hakoda.

Then there was that man who had been standing around with Fire Lord Ozai and who had ran off when Zuko had joined the fight of the final battle.

The last face, he recognized with a pang of greatest fear, was the face of Long Feng.

* * *

**Dun dun dun! How's that for the next chapter? I sure hope you all liked it and please, tell me in your reviews. Remember, I need three (3) of those before I can update. So please review. Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter.**

**And please remember to check out "The Necklace" by She-Poe. AND REVIEW IT!**

**Oh, yes, and JOIN TEAM ZUTARA!!!**


	6. Please, Don't Leave Me

**Hey guys, thanks to everybody who reviewed last chapter. : ) Same rule for this chapter – give me three (3) reviews, or I won't update. I love you all, you know that :D **

**Now, read, review and enjoy ^_^**

**

* * *

**

**6. Please, Don't Leave Me**

Hakoda walked Katara to the door, "Get your things packed, we'll leave as soon as you're ready."

Katara nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes. Then, without another word to her father, or her grandmother, Katara let Sokka and Suki lead her back to the palace. They could all sneak away. They didn't have to tell anyone they were going. They'd just leave a note, pack their things and go. Back to the Southern Water Tribe, and Sokka and Suki might go back to Kyoshi Island once things settle down a bit more. The other Water Tribe warriors didn't need to know what had happened. If Hakoda made it clear that it was none of their business, they wouldn't dare question him, or anyone around him.

_This is it, I'm leaving again, and I'm leaving with a broken heart. Just like last time. What is it? Does he just like watching me suffer or something? Does he just love to be the one to inflict the pain on me? What will he do after I leave? Will he chase me back to the south again, claiming he loves me and coming up with some crazy way of explaining the situation he was caught in with Mai?_

Katara cringed at that thought. She remembered how naïve she had been. At first, she had been stubborn, but he had somehow managed to break down the walls she'd put around her heart to keep it safe. Then she had let him take her over, and she had practically given herself to him, a servant on a silver plate. She had let him convince her that he loved her and that they were meant to be, and it had all gone terribly wrong.

"Suki, I want you to go up to the room with Katara, and if Zuko's in there, kick him out and keep him out. I don't want him anywhere near her. Got it?" Sokka asked, grabbing the Kyoshi Warrior's shoulders firmly.

Suki looked him in the eyes and nodded, but the fact that she was biting her lip told Sokka she had something to say. He raised an eyebrow, "Suki, what's wrong?"

"It's just… I just think…" She looked between the two Water Tribe siblings and sighed. "I just think we should get the story from all sides before we do something so drastic as leave and never return… what if there is something behind all of this, something that neither Zuko nor Mai know about? Maybe there's a perfectly good explanation, and we're too angry and confused to stop and consider the possibilities. Maybe –"

"Suki! What are you talking about?!" Sokka shot her a cold look of annoyance. "Are you telling us that you're siding with that-that-that…" Sokka pressed his lips into a thin line to stop himself from cussing in front of his sister and wife. "What's gotten into you?!" he burst out after a moment.

"Nothing!" Suki quickly put her hands up in front of her – she should have known better than to speak out like that. "I was just saying… we shouldn't jump to conclusions… I'm not siding with Zuko, I'm just saying that we should find out the whole story from all sides before we determine for ourselves exactly what happened…" Sokka was practically glaring at her, and it was making her feel uneasy. Suki had to bite her lip to stop it from trembling, but it was almost no use. "F-forget I said anything! It was stupid of me… c'mon Katara!" Suki grabbed the waterbender's arm and started leading her up to her room. "Let's go pack…"

Katara followed silently, slightly irked by Suki's words. Was she really on Katara's side, or was she just playing it so that she could help Zuko get to her? Was she in on Zuko's plans to hurt her too?! Great, first Zuko himself, then Mai then Toph. Ty Lee seemed to be in on it too, and Iroh had been sitting with them earlier… had he changed sides too? Was he siding with Zuko on this one?

Angry tears formed in her eyes as she marched down a corridor with Suki. She wasn't paying any attention at all, and she would have missed the crinkled piece of paper lying on the ground if she hadn't have almost slipped on it. Suki caught her arm at the last minute and steadied her.

"What's this…?" Suki and Katara bent down together and accidentally knocked heads. They laughed a bit at their clumsiness, and then Suki beat her to picking it up.

The Kyoshi Warrior flattened out the piece of paper as best she could. It was a musty brown colour and it had something written on it, in black, smudging letters.

Suki read it to herself:

_The Avatar has been kidnapped. Do not try and follow the kidnapper or rescue your friend or he will be killed._

_Admiral Shang._

"Katara…" Suki started slowly. "We have a problem."

Katara looked at her with fear in her eyes. This couldn't be good. Hesitantly, she took the note from Suki and read it to herself, over once, twice and three times just to be sure. Blinking in shock, she let it sink in, and then came that first wave of panic.

"Suki!" she gasped. "We need to find him!"

She ran back the way they had came, the note still in her hands.

"Katara, wait! They said they'd kill him if we go after them!"

"Maybe he hasn't been kidnapped yet!" Katara called back over her shoulder.

Suki sprinted after her and they both almost ran head-long into Sokka as they rounded the corner.

"Hey, aren't you two supposed to be packing?!" he asked, slightly agitated. Obviously, he just wanted out of the Fire Nation. He just wanted to get as far away from that – he thought something of Zuko that would make all faint – as he possibly could.

"Sokka!" Katara thrust the piece of paper at him. "Help us find Aang! He might still be around. They probably just left the note lying around so they could get out of here as soon as they caught him!"

Sokka was immediately alarmed by the panic running through her voice.

"Katara, what are you…" He slowly looked at the semi-scrunched up piece of paper in his hand and read the messy writing. "…Oh…"

After a moment, Sokka's head shot up so suddenly, the girls could have sworn it was attached to a rocket that had just been launched. "We have to find him!"

"Aang!" Katara called. "I'll go check up in his room!" She ran from the others to find him. "Aang!" She didn't stop calling his name. If she could just hear his voice, that would be enough to assure her he was safe. But she needed to find him, fast. If she had really lost him… "Aang…" She pushed the door of his room open, but it was empty. He was nowhere to be found in there and there was no other note saying, '_Gone for a walk, be back soon,'_ left on the bed. "Aang…"

"Sokka, I'll go and check back at the units to see if anyone who came for the wedding has seen him!" Suki called over her shoulder as she headed for the exit of the palace.

"Ok, be careful, I'm gonna go check the gardens!" Sokka nodded, running for the outdoors.

He and Katara almost collided as they entered the same corridor at the same time.

"Aang's not in his room!" she cried, tears in her eyes.

"What?! Uh! Come and check outside with me!" he grabbed her arms.

It was scary, to know that someone you loved was in so much danger, but not know if that danger had actually occurred yet or not. But instead of them finding Aang or his claimed kidnapper in the garden, next to the turtle-duck pond, Toph and Zuko were talking casually. As soon as Sokka and Katara stopped near the pond, Toph raised her head and faced them.

"What do you want?" she asked, rather coldly.

"Toph! Do you know where Aang is?!" Katara asked urgently.

Sensing her heartbeat, Toph raised an eyebrow, "Katara…?"

"Toph, Suki and I found this letter just a moment ago." She snatched the piece of paper from Sokka. "It says that Aang's been kidnapped! And if we try to rescue him, they guys who took him will kill him!"

"Is there any signature on the note?" Zuko asked.

It was the first time Katara had actually registered it was him the whole time she had been standing there. She fell silent and glared at him. He frowned in disappointment and had to suppress a sigh.

"C'mon Katara, Aang isn't out here. Maybe we should just leave now," Sokka put a hand on her shoulder, keeping his eyes narrowed on Zuko. The boy pretended not to notice Sokka's icy glare, but he couldn't quite shake it off as hard as he tried to focus on Katara. Her eyes were red and her face tear-stained. Her hair was a mess and she looked like she was wearing her old outfit of traditional blue and Water-Tribe design. It was starting to get small on her and it was pulling tight around her womanly figure. Zuko felt a lump in his throat as he took in the fact that she was supposed to be his, but for some mistaken reason, she hated him and wouldn't let him near her.

"Guys, he has a point! If you tell us who's signed it, we might have more of a chance of finding him!" Toph shouted, before Sokka could lead her away.

Katara looked back down at the letter and read it over again. When she looked back up again, she glared something icy at Zuko, and then turned back to Toph and spoke only to her.

"It's signed by some guy… Admiral Shang." The name seemed familiar to her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on where she'd heard it before. Although… it reminded her of Azula for some reason…

"Alright, we need to find out who has someone in their army called Admiral Shang!" Toph declared.

Sokka and Katara nodded, but it was Zuko who spoke.

"Shang?! You are _not _serious!" he almost shouted, standing up.

Sokka set his gaze back on him, "What's it to you, Jerk Lord?"

Zuko tried not to pay attention to his new title, and it was a lot easier than before now that he was onto something. Shang… Admiral Shang… he was the one who had dishonoured Azula. He was the one she almost had to marry. He was that coward who ran off as soon as he realized that Zuko had joined the fight and knew about what had happened to the Princess.

"How do you know this Admiral Shang?" Katara asked, looking him in the eyes, untrusting and suspicious.

"He was in my father's army and he was one of his close… well, I guess they were what you could have called 'friends'," Zuko explained, thinking about the man. "I am hoping that letter isn't really from him, mainly because he's the guy who –"

"So, you're in league with him!" Katara shot at him, not registering what he had been saying after he had paused to think. _Zuko knows this man! Zuko must be part of the reason Aang got kidnapped!_

"What? No! Katara, I –"

"You're the one who told him where Aang was! This was your doing!" She pointed an accusing finger at him. "You haven't really tried to end the war; you're just taking a different approach to it than your father was!"

"Katara!" both Toph and Zuko gasped. It had nothing to do with Zuko!

"You should be locked up! You don't deserve to be Fire Lord!" She was in tears, and they rushed down her cheeks and fell to the ground as she yelled at him. She needed to let all of her anger out on him, because it had been all bottled up inside her since the night before and it was killing her. Tears just weren't enough; she needed to hurt him bad for what he had done.

"Katara! I'm not with him! I hate him! He does terrible things to people, things I don't even want to think about! He –"

"So, you thought he was the perfect one to get rid of Aang, didn't you?!"

"Katara –"

"Didn't you?!"

"Katara!"

"Well guess what, Zuko! Maybe I'll just be leaving now, before you can hurt me any more and before you can take anything else away from me!" she shouted, losing control.

Zuko stood, his mouth open, as Katara yelled at him.

"Katara…" Toph's misty eyes were wide open with shock.

"You heard," she dropped her voice and took a step backwards, grabbing Sokka's forearm so she could lead him away. "I'm leaving. I'm going back to the Water Tribe and I'm going to save Aang from whatever mess this is that you've gotten him into." She had her eyes firmly set on Zuko and they were unmoving and unblinking. "I don't give a damn what you say, Zuko, because I'm not listening to you anymore."

"But… Katara… please no, I need you, I need –"

"YOU NEED ME MY ASS! You know what _you _really need?!" she shouted, walking right up to him. Before he could do anything from answer to step back from her, she struck him hard across the face. The slap almost knocked him over and he stumbled backwards a few paced, clutching his right cheek. "There! Now I'm leaving. Goodbye Zuko!"

With that, she turned and strutted back inside the palace, to pack her things and leave.

The Fire Lord had to remind himself to breathe after a moment of stunned silence. He had known that Katara was angry and upset, and he had known that she was strong and a good fighter, but never in his life did he think that she would be the type to actually hit someone.

"Zuko… are you ok?" Toph asked quietly from where she stood. Zuko didn't even realize himself falling to his knees and sinking into the grass that grew under the apple tree. The blind girl knelt down beside him and put a hand to the cheek Katara had slapped. "Zuko? Listen, don't worry, everything will turn out fine in the end. Everything always does turn out right in the end, right?" she smiled.

Zuko didn't move or speak for a moment. He just looked at the spot Katara had been standing and wished she was still there. He wished that she wasn't about to leave him again and he wished that she didn't hate him. He wished none of this had ever happened.

Slowly, the Fire Lord turned his head to Toph and his eyes stared rather hopelessly into hers. She didn't need to see him to tell his eyes were unfocused.

"No Toph…" he whispered, barely able to hear himself. "Things don't always turn out ok… if things did always turn out ok then Azula would be alive and my mother would be here. If things always turned out ok, Aang wouldn't be the last of his people. If things always turned out alright, then Aang wouldn't be gone and Katara wouldn't have yet another reason to hate me…"

"Zuko, maybe this isn't the _end_ and that's why things aren't going well yet. Aang only just got kidnapped. We can still find him! And we're not giving up on somehow proving that you and Mai didn't do anything on purpose and that it was never supposed to happen," Toph tried to comfort him. But he only shook his head, slowly regretting the fact that he was alive. If he didn't exist, Katara wouldn't be put through so much pain. If he had just never forced himself into her life, she wouldn't be so torn apart at that moment.

"Zuko?" she asked hesitantly when he said nothing.

Quite suddenly, so that it startled Toph, Zuko stood up and walked quietly from the garden, back inside and up to his room.

Sokka wasn't with Katara when he went in, and when she noticed him in the doorway, she stood bolt upright and her cheeks flushed red. Whether with anger or embarrassment, Zuko was unaware, but it didn't matter to him.

"I don't want you to go," he said simply, after a moment of silence.

The waterbender rolled her eyes and turned back to her bag. She wasn't packing anything that was Fire Nation or particularly fancy. He guessed that she was planning to try and forget all of this completely; to forget that she was in love; to forget that she was pregnant and he was the father; to forget that she had been married; to forget what she had found that night after the party; to forget the pain he had caused her; to forget that she was Fire Lady; to forget that she had lived here; to forget about him; to forget her new life altogether; maybe even to forget herself.

"Katara, please just listen to me," he pleaded, only daring to take one timid step into the room. "I don't have anything to do with what that letter says has happened to Aang." He caught sight of the crumpled piece of paper on her dresser and carefully edged his way over to it, keeping his eyes on her to make sure she knew what he was doing. He picked it up and read it to himself. When he put it down again, he looked back to the girl in front of him.

Katara had her lips pursed tightly, and he was sure it was to stop them from trembling. There was a crease in her brow, as she tried to concentrate on packing and ignore him. But it wasn't working, because every time he spoke, she would flinch, as if each work was cutting her deeper and deeper, leaving a permanent mark there as a reminder.

She zipped up her bag, making sure he knew it, and she was about to throw it over her shoulder when Zuko stepped closer to her.

"NO! Get away from me!" she shouted as he grabbed her wrists. Katara struggled hard and beat several times at his chest as he tried to keep her still, but he did not let go of her, no matter how hard she beat him. Desperately, Zuko pushed his lips firmly against hers and his grip on her wrists tightened. She pulled away, he moved back in. She turned her head, he let go of one of her wrists and used his hand to turn her back. Zuko pressed his lips to hers again, and he could taste her salty tears as well. He could feel them running down her cheek with each second that passed. Her sobs made her whole body shake. She put her free hand to his throat and pressed down on his Adam's apple with her thumb. Unable to breathe, Zuko pulled away, but he did not let go of her wrist, and she did not stop choking him. "I said _no_," she breathed.

"Don't leave me!" he begged, catching her hand and pulling it away from his throat. "Don't leave me, Katara! I need you, and I'm not kidding. You're my world and I love you, Katara, I love –"

"SHUP UP!" she screamed. "Don't say that! You don't mean it! Shut up, I never want to hear you say that to me again, I never –"

He pushed his lips so tightly to hers that he accidentally bit his own lip. But he didn't care about the taste of blood in his mouth – he just wanted to show her that he wasn't lying, and when words weren't enough, this was the only way that would work.

**

* * *

**

Guess who's back... back again... Shang is back... warn your friends... guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back... lol.

Cliffie! Kinda… lol, I made this one short – I actually cut it in half from the way I originally wrote it and the other half will be the next chapter – and I'm gonna try and keep them not-too-long from now on. : ) So, what did you all think of it? And didn't you all love that bit of Zutara right there at the very end? :D Of course you did. And you're gonna tell me that in a review, aren't you? Yes you are! ^_^

**Remember, three reviews or no update. You guys are awesome. I love you very muchly. **

**Oh… and don't forget to SPREAD THE WORD and JOIN TEAM ZUTARA!!!**


	7. The Vision from the Spirits

**Lol, did I leave you all hanging on the edge of that last chapter? I sure hope so. Well, here's the next one up for ya's. Thanks to everybody who reviewed – I give you all golden stars ^_^ **

**Now, remember four (4) reviews or no update. That's right, I'm putting it up a notch. Thank you all! Now, read, review and enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

**7. The Vision from the Spirits**

He pushed her against the wall, kissing her almost violently, her hands pinned to the wall next to her head. She struggled so hard. He couldn't bring himself to let go of her, because he knew that if he did, he wouldn't be able to force himself to catch her again. Katara's body was tense, and suddenly, she seemed to stop moving. Was she giving up her struggling fight? That thought made Zuko's heart leap, but he knew that his hope was in vain.

Katara gently tried to ease her hands off the wall. As he kissed her, Zuko let her hands go, and she placed one on the back of his head and the other, at the bottom of his neck. Suddenly, she was kissing him back, but she was still crying. Her hands ran through his hair. He was wearing it loose today; he had been too lazy to do it this morning. His hands were holding her waist, his fingertips slowly and gently pressing into her skin. One hand slowly came up her back and held the back of her head – neither of them would be able to pull away from each other now. Katara wrapped her arms so tightly around him, and she pulled her body right up to his. His tongue was in her mouth and she was wrestling to get hers in his.

Flooding with relief at the thought that maybe she was forgiving him for what he'd been accused of, Zuko gently pulled her off the wall. She didn't let go of him and they didn't stop kissing each other. It only took two steps before they were at the bed, and Zuko pushed her down onto it and slowly got on top of her. His lips were harsh, but his hands and the rest of his body were gentle. She wasn't any different.

It wasn't until he felt her hand move away from the back of his head and reach out for the bedside table that Zuko realized that she was deceiving him. She made a sudden movement with her arm and suddenly, the Fire Lord could feel the cold pearl blade of his own dagger at the side of his neck. Their lips slowly broke apart and Zuko opened his eyes to see the way she gave him that icy glare as she slowly pressed the blade into his skin at his neck and he slowly sat up. She sat up with him, not blinking as she glared at him.

He frowned sadly at her. She was always such a smart girl and a good fighter. But he so wished that she could just see that he wasn't the enemy.

Katara didn't let Zuko get up. She herself stood, but she kept the dagger to his throat so that he couldn't. He stayed sitting on the bed, his eyes staring back into hers with tears of longing and sorrow, begging her to understand.

Her lips were trembling as she spoke.

"I never want to hear you say those words to me _ever_ again," she whispered. "I'm leaving, Zuko." She slung her bag over her shoulder, keeping the dagger against this throat. "And I'm not coming back!"

Katara dropped the dagger on the ground as she left the room, and she slammed the door behind her. The slam echoed down the halls, in his room and in his head. The only other thing he could hear were her quickly fading footsteps and the replaying sound of his pearl dagger hitting the floor.

* * *

"Katara, Aang wasn't over at the units either!" Suki informed her when she rounded the corner into the corridor hers and Sokka's room was in.

The waterbender looked up at the girl with concern. "We'll find him," she said, lowly.

Suki nodded and scrutinized the girl in front of her, "Are you ok?"

Katara walked right past her and entered her brother's room without answering. The Kyoshi Warrior didn't mind; she had something important she needed to do anyway and it wasn't something she wanted to tell Sokka or Katara about.

"Are you alright?" Sokka asked when she walked in.

Katara nodded silently and sat on the foot of the bed while Sokka finished packing his stuff. Neither of them spoke for a long while, and when Katara finally broke the silence, her voice was hoarse.

"Has Suki already packed her stuff?"

Sokka stopped and straightened up in thought, the pair of pants he was just about to put in his bag still in his hands. He turned to her, still thinking.

"Um… I think so…" Suspiciously, he opened one of his wife's cupboards. Sure enough, it was empty. "Yep!" He shut the cupboard and went back to packing his bag.

Neither of them spoke again until Katara decided that she wanted to talk to Suki.

"I'll be back soon," was all she said.

* * *

After a moment, Zuko registered that there was a faint tint of blood on the very edge of his dagger. It was lying just within his eyesight. Shoulders slumping, Zuko gently put a hand to his throat, where the blade had last been pressed. He took his hands away, but there was no blood. He put his hands to the side of his neck where Katara had first placed the blade. She must have pressed harder there, because when he pulled his hand away, a small amount of blood was on his fingertips.

Zuko sighed as he bent down and picked up his pearl dagger. He carefully wiped the blood off the edge of the blade and put it back in its little cover. But instead of leaving it on his bedside table like he usually did, he stashed in inside his robes like he use to.

In his mind, he repeated the words he knew were inscribed on the blade.

"_Never give up without a fight." So, does that mean when I've tried and failed that I'm allowed to give up? I've already fought! I don't have the will to keep going anymore. I don't want to hurt anyone, especially not Katara. And I don't want to hurt myself anymore._

He sat there thinking. He didn't want to lose Katara. But he didn't want to hurt her. If he went after her, would things end up alright without causing her anymore pain? Or would he just hurt her again and again? He'd already hurt her so much.

_Never give up without a fight… never give up without a fight… never give up without a fight… never give up without a fight…_

In frustration, Zuko pulled his dagger out again and unsheathed it. He needed to see the inscriptions for himself.

_Made in Earth Kingdom,_ was the first thing he read. He sighed, thinking of the boy, Lee, who he had met long ago while travelling through the Earth Kingdom. Then he turned the blade over to the other side. For a moment, he thought the words he wanted – the words he _needed_ – would not appear. He thought, for one terrible moment, that those words would not be there, and he felt abandoned. But they were there. _Never give up without a fight._

Zuko let out a held breath and lay back on his bed, running his forefinger over the tip of the sharp blade. He closed his eyes, trying to imagine that he was somewhere else, somewhere where everything was perfect, somewhere he could escape from all of this unbearable drama and pain.

But he had the image of Katara's icy eyes glaring at him stuck in his head. No, she was crying. Then was hugging Sokka, and Suki was rubbing her back. She was yelling at him. _Katara, please, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you… I didn't even do it!_

He ran his finger over the blade, pressing harder and harder.

_I don't want to see you cry… please stop…_

His finger was starting to hurt, but he kept running it over the blade.

_Please… I'm sorry… don't go…_

"_Zuko…"_ But that wasn't his own voice calling him inside his head…

* * *

"Mum, what are you doing?" Azula asked as Ursa dipped her hands into the water of the well.

Azula stood and walked over. Yue joined them shortly and they both watched Ursa.

"Seriously, what is she doing?" Azula whispered to the Moon Spirit as her mother's eyes turned a pale, glowing blue.

Yue smiled knowingly as Ursa leaned forward until her face was submerged in the water.

* * *

"_Zuko, listen to me."_ Wait, he knew that voice!

"Mum?" he asked, slightly uncertain.

"_Yes, my Son, it's me. You must listen carefully now – what I'm about to tell you will help you greatly. Use this information wisely!"_

"Mum! What's going on?! I'm so confused right now! I don't know what happened… I don't know how Mai and I ended up like we did the other night, but I know I didn't mean for it to happen! And no one but Toph, Ty Lee and maybe Uncle and Suki believe it!"

"_Zuko, listen to me! Everything will be ok. There was a Water Tribe man at the wedding after-party who had been hypnotized by the Dai Li and sent to create a diversion so that Long Feng and Admiral Shang could take Aang. You and Mai were that diversion! He knocked you both out and put you in the bed together. It was neither of your faults!"_

Zuko felt his heart stop for a second. So there _was_ a perfectly logical explanation!

"So… it wasn't my fault… or Mai's?" he asked, hopeful but incredulous.

Suddenly, the black he could see from behind his closed eyelids changed. He wasn't in his room anymore and he wasn't lying on his bed, stroking the blade of his dagger with his forefinger.

His mother stood before him and the surroundings were pale, icy blue clouds. It looked strange and certainly supernatural, but he didn't care for any of that just then. All he cared about was finding out what his mother knew about his current situation.

She looked perfectly human in this strange world, and she smiled gently at him.

"Zuko, it's alright. It wasn't anyone's fault… not anyone good anyway. The Water Tribe man who was hypnotized to do this is a good person at heart. It is Long Feng and Shang that are to blame. Listen to me!"

Zuko tried to move closer to the woman. He needed to be near her. She was what he needed right at that moment. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get an inch closer to Ursa. Looking longingly at her, he nodded so that she would continue.

"Admiral Shang has taken Aang to Old Ba Sing Se. Do you remember where that is?"

"Yes, it's beneath Ba Sing Se itself. I've been there before," he said.

"Good. Shang and Long Feng are working together at the moment and they have Aang. They'll be at the underground any minute now and Aang will be stuck in there with them for them to do as they please with him. There's nothing you can do to prevent it! But you can save him."

"How do I save him, Mum?! I can't do this on my own. I need all of my friends to back me up and most of them don't consider me their friend at the moment!" he pleaded.

"You have to get them to trust you again! But be careful, my Son. Admiral Shang and Long Feng want more than just the Avatar in chains. They want to ruin _everything _so that the world will be at their mercy. They will strike again, and I fear they'll take more than one person this time. Keep yourself safe and watch over Katara – they've already toyed with your relationship with her once, they'll do it again!" Ursa warned.

"How can I get them to trust me?" Zuko asked.

"That's something you'll have to find out for yourself. I don't know the answer."

A sudden wind came from nowhere in particular and Ursa's form began to fade away.

"Mum! What's happening?!" Zuko called out to her, once again trying to reach her. Ursa just looked at him and gave him a sad smile.

"I can't stay here – I'm being pulled back into the Spirit World and you're being pulled back to the Mortal World," she explained quickly.

"But I need your help!" Zuko shouted, as he felt himself falling. His mother was getting further and further away from him. "Mum!"

"Don't worry Zuko! I'm always watching you! Just remember – never forget who you are!" she called to him.

She faded from sight and the eerie blue world of clouds that surrounded him fell away and he was in blackness again.

Zuko sat up with a gasp. He was back on his bed in his room in his world. His mother and the icy blue clouds of the world he'd been in were all gone and the first thing he noticed about his was that he could feel a sharp pain in his forefinger there.

Frowning, he looked at his finger. He'd run it along the sharp blade of the dagger too hard and he had a deep cut. Blood trickled down his finger and pooled in the palm of his hand as he examined it. The blade of his dagger was red with the liquid too.

Zuko sighed in frustration and suddenly, there was a knock on the door. He quickly stuffed his dagger and bloodied hand under the covers of his bed.

"Who is it?" he asked quickly.

"It's me," sighed the unmistakable voice of Mai from the other side of the door.

"Oh…" he slumped glumly. "Come in."

The door creaked open and the gloomy girl stepped inside and shut it behind her, "You sound overjoyed to see me," she smirked sarcastically.

He shrugged, "Well… ya know…"

"Yea, I know."

Mai sat on the bed next to him and brought her knees up to her chest. Then she looked at him.

"Maybe we should just stop trying," she shrugged.

Zuko frowned. "What do you mean _"stop trying"_?" He raised his eyebrow at her.

"I mean…" She didn't make eye-contact with him. It took her a while to finally give him the answer. "I mean maybe we should just stop trying to make them trust us again or believe our story or anything like that."

"Are you crazy?! If we do that they'll probably take that as _"ok, yea, we're a couple of whores!"_!" Zuko shouted, jumping off the bed so quickly that he accidentally ripped back the covers. By the time he'd realized his mistake, Mai had caught sight of the dagger and the blood.

"Zuko –!" she gasped.

"Mai! It's not what it looks like!" he said quickly. "I didn't mean to cut myself… it just sorta happened. I was thinking and running my finger along the blade and then… I guess I just pressed it to hard. Well, it sure brought me back down to earth!" He tried to laugh and plaster a smile on his lips. But Mai looked blankly at him, unconvinced.

"Zuko –"

"Mai, I didn't do it to myself on purpose!" He spoke quickly and made sure he was louder than her. He didn't want anyone to think he cut himself! It had been an accident; a mistake. It wasn't on purpose.

Mai looked into his eyes, hoping to find proof that his words were true somewhere within them. But if she found anything or not, all she did was sigh.

"Promise me you won't do something like that," she murmured.

Zuko nodded, but did not answer in words. Mai raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth to speak again when there was another knock on the door.

"Who is it?" they both asked at the same time.

"It's me, Suki!" the Kyoshi Warrior whispered from the other side.

Mai's eyebrows suddenly jumping to her hairline was the only thing that told Zuko that she was surprised. But the Fire Lord wasn't so shocked… more relieved in fact.

"Come in, Suki," he sighed.

The door opened and Suki quickly stepped into the room and shut it behind her. She pressed her back against it for a moment before she looked at them or said anything.

"Ok, I…" She trailed off immediately when she saw the blood on Zuko's hand and the dagger lying in the bed and Mai sitting next to it. "…Um…"

"Don't worry, Suki, it's nothing!" Zuko quickly claimed. "I didn't mean to do it, I just pressed my finger against it too hard…" he chuckled slightly and showed Suki his finger.

The Kyoshian nodded before she continued. "Alright, listen here! I don't know what happened last night, but I do believe that there is more to the story than me, Sokka, Aang and Katara know," she said looking between them. "I want to hear your sides of the story."

"It's pretty simple to tell, but not so easy to understand," Mai shrugged. "I went for a walk with the Water Tribe guy who had been friendly with me and he had to leave me for a moment. Before he got back, someone knocked me out or something and when I woke up you, Sokka, Katara and Iroh were in the doorway and Zuko was on top of me."

"I think I have an… idea of what might have caused that to happen," Zuko said, recalling his vision dream thing with his mother. "But first, I'll tell you my side of the story."

"I thought you said you didn't know anything!" Mai suddenly shot at him.

"I'll explain in a sec!" Zuko shot back, slightly annoyed. Then he turned back to Suki. "I went for a walk in the gardens and someone snuck up behind me and knocked me out. When I woke up, I was on top of Mai and you and the others were standing in the doorway."

Suki frowned, but she nodded. She didn't know whether to believe the stories were that simply complicated or not, or if she should just dismiss them like everyone else did. There was no logical explanation from either of their stories! So, how did all that stuff between them happen last night then?

"Alright Zuko," Mai prodded him in the back with a finger. "What do you know that you haven't told us? What's this idea you have and why didn't you say something before?!" she demanded.

"Mai stop it!" He pushed her away from him, back down on the bed where she huffed. He turned back to Suki. "While I was in here a minute ago before either of you came in and before I cut myself… I'm not so sure what happened. I shut my eyes and… I don't know if I fell asleep and dreamed it or if I had a vision or if I'm going psychotic or whatever, but I saw my mum and she told me that some guy from the Water Tribe came and knocked us both out and put us in bed together as a distraction. The distraction was so that guy, Admiral Shang, could get Aang!" he explained, trying to ignore the strange looks he was receiving from both girls.

"Are you serious?" Mai asked blankly after a minute.

"Yes! I _am_ serious! I wouldn't joke about something like this – it's too serious!"

"What else did this… vision thing tell you?" Suki probed. She didn't believe a word of it and was unlikely to be convinced until Toph came by and told her he wasn't lying, but she still wanted to hear what he had to say.

"Um…" Zuko tried to recall the memory. But the vision was slipping from his mind like a bar of soap would slip from his fingers. "She told me that Shang was working with Long Feng and…" He shut his eyes, trying to get a clear view of his mother's face as if it would help him to remember what she had said. "And they're in Old Ba Sing Se… and she said that they would attack again and that we should all be careful because he might take someone else too!"

Mai stared at him, her expression unreadable. Suki looked unimpressed and had one eyebrow raised.

"You guys don't believe me," he remarked bluntly. The two girls looked at each other and then back at him. He sighed. "Forget it!"

He pushed past Suki and left the two girls in his room, slightly shocked. Mai was thoroughly confused, although you couldn't have told, and Suki was just disbelieving. She wanted to believe Zuko, but how could she be sure he wasn't lying? Still, she could smell a rat about what had happened last night. Before she left the room, she turned one last time to Mai.

"Are you absolutely sure you don't know what happened?"

Mai sighed, "As I said, I know nothing more than what I told you."

Suki nodded and left the room to go and find Sokka and Katara.

* * *

"Hey Firefly," Toph greeted him as he came and joined her by the turtle-duck pond again.

"Hey."

"You sound depressed and… hey, what happened to your finger?" she asked, not sounding particularly worried.

"I just accidentally cut myself on my dagger. It's nothing but… I have something I need to talk to you about."

Toph sat up and turned her blind eyes on him, "Firefly?"

Had he been hiding something from her after all? Or had he found something out? Maybe there was something else going on that he just realized might be connected to last night!

Zuko sat down next to the blind earthbender, "Toph, Katara packed her things and she and Sokka are leaving. I think Suki will be going with them too. But after Katara left the room, I was lying on my bed with my dagger in my hands and I had this weird vision."

Toph's expression was unreadable. It wasn't a blank expression like Mai's had been or doubtful like Suki's, but he couldn't tell if she believed him or not.

"In the vision," he continued when she said nothing, "my mother was there. And she told me what happened to Mai and I last night and why we ended up together like that. There was some Water Tribe guy who knocked us both out and put us in there together. It was to create a diversion so that guy, Admiral Shang, could come and take Aang. And from the looks of it, he's succeeded. He attacked while we were all confused and not thinking clearly," he retold her, gravely.

"And Shang… he's that jerk who Azula was about to get married to when we came to defeat Fire Lord Ozai, right?" she asked.

He nodded, "And in the vision, my Mother told me that he was probably going to strike again… she thinks that it might be Katara next."

"This is bad," she commented.

"Yep," he confirmed.

"We're screwed."

"Thanks…"

**

* * *

**

**Gotta love Toph… yep, she's a star at boosting the self-esteem… not. So what did you all think of that? Was it good? I sure hope it was cuz I liked it :D What did you think of the vision and what Ursa told Zuko? Dun dun dun, what will happen next?! Seriously, guys, I'd love to hear your predictions… So why don't you tell me them in your reviews? : ) That'd be a really great idea, don't ya think? **

**Remember, four reviews or no update.**

**JOIN TEAM ZUTARA!!!**


	8. Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang

**Note to anonymous reviewer, Thunder: First off, make yourself a proper account so I don't have to use A/Ns to reply to you, lol. Second, there are many brilliant authors on fanfic who write Zutara, some which I haven't even found myself. You want a good Zutara story, check out my favourite stories list and the Zutara C2 Community I'm a staff member of "Violent Delights – The Ultimate Zutara Haven". It's got brilliant Zutara fics. But I highly recommend you check out the authors Vicki So, doctor Anthony, She-Poe, RedNovember, VioletCrystals and Musicbender… depends what you like. They're awesome writers with great Zutara fics. Of course there are many more than that, so as I said, check out my favourite stories list… btw, thanks for the review :) **

**Anyway, down to business guys, this chapter is named for the movie "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang"… even though I've never actually seen it. Lol. I just like the title that much… anyway, thanks to those of you who reviewed last chapter. Glad you liked it. I hope you like this one too and please remember to review – remember four reviews or no update.**

**Now, read, review and most of all, enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

**8. Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang**

They had been sitting under the apple tree for a while. Hours, it felt like. The sun was hidden behind clouds – it hadn't been sunny all day. Maybe the weather knew how everyone else was feeling at the palace and felt the same. But it felt like it must be near sunset.

Toph got up silently and started heading inside, mumbling something about being hungry and getting food. Zuko just nodded as she left and sighed when she was gone. As much as he liked being around Toph, and as much comfort as it was bringing him at the moment, he hadn't noticed until she had left just then that it felt ten times better being on his own. He hoped that she would take her time with what she was doing.

He lay on his back, staring up at the cloudy, grey sky and wondering what was beyond them. Zuko probably would have slipped into a daydream where none of the pain or problems from his life existed. But then he heard footsteps. They came towards him. Zuko didn't want to look away from the sky. He hoped that whoever was walking would walk right past him. He didn't want to be interrupted or denied this one moment of peace. But of course, he didn't get what he wanted.

Mai's head appeared just over his. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"What's up?" she asked smoothly.

He shrugged, still not sitting up. Her face disappeared from his line of sight and he felt her lie down next to him. Zuko had to resist the urge to tell her to go away. But he bit back his words – she wasn't meaning him any harm… right?

"Again, what's up?" she sighed, folding her arms behind her head.

"Not much… I guess I'm just thinking."

"Were you serious, back there with the whole vision thing?" she asked.

"You and Suki don't believe me, do you?" He sighed long and hard. "Never mind, I get it. I guess I wouldn't believe it either, if it hadn't been me it had happened to."

"Yea… but were you serious?"

"Yes, I was."

They were both silent for a long while.

"Is she gone yet?" Zuko whispered.

"Who?" Mai rolled over and propped her head in her hands as she leaned on her elbows.

"Katara…" he sighed. "Do you know if she's left yet?"

Zuko sounded so miserable. Mai wished she could tell him that everything was going to be alright and that Katara would come around eventually. But she wasn't sure of it herself and there was that little voice at the back of her mind telling her not to anyway. But that little voice wasn't telling her not to say anything because it wouldn't be true – it was telling her not to say anything because she didn't want it to end up alright between them. _She _wanted Zuko, and if he and Katara truly and completely broke up, then she would have a chance with him again, right?

_No, I'm not that kind of person!_ She scolded herself, _I don't steal my friend's guys, and Katara is… well, was and I still want her to be my friend. So no, I need to let go of Zuko._

She sighed loudly and Zuko turned his head slightly to look at her.

"So, what's up with you?"

She shrugged.

* * *

Suki snuck along the corridor after telling Sokka and Katara that she had left something in their bedroom. They were going to wait for her over at the units with their father and Gran-Gran.

Suki bit her bottom lip as she slunk back inside the palace. She knew that if Sokka and Katara found out what she was really up to and what she was really thinking, they would be angry at her. They wouldn't trust her. She'd have hurt them. So she had to make sure she didn't get spotted by the wrong people.

"Zuko?" she whispered, entering the kitchen. "Oh, hey Toph."

"Hey," Toph waved, sounding glum. "What are you up to?"

"Trying to see if there is anything more I can do to convince Sokka and Katara to stay a little longer… I don't know what happened between Zuko and Mai or if what they're telling us is true, but I can smell a rat."

Toph smiled lightly, "So, you're looking for Zuko?"

"Yes. Do you know where he –?"

"In the garden, by the turtle-duck pond," Toph cut across her, knowing what the question was.

Suki smiled, "Thanks, Toph!"

With that, Suki left the kitchen, and Toph continued crunching on the apple that she held in her hand.

* * *

Aang tried his best to stay conscious. He felt sick, lying on the cold, metal floor with his hands and feet tied up behind his back.

It was dank and dark – the only light came from a single glowing lamp, somewhere outside his prison. He was trapped. Metal walls surrounded him on all sides. There was no water, no fire, no earth and he didn't have the strength to bend what little air was being let into his container.

The Avatar knew he was in danger. He just hoped that his friends wouldn't end up landed in this danger with him.

_Katara… don't try and find me… I don't want you to be in here with me too…_

He shut his eyes as consciousness slipped from him again. It wasn't the first time since he had woken up here; he just hoped that if and when his friends found him, he would be able to fight.

_Katara…_

_

* * *

_

"What's keeping Suki?" Sokka complained as he sat with Katara, Gran-Gran and his father.

"I think I'll go and look for her. I need something to do," Katara stood up. "I'll be back soon."

"Ok, try not to run into that jerk," he warned.

"I'll try not to."

She walked back to the palace.

* * *

Suki didn't make a sound as she walked towards the turtle-duck pond. She was slightly lost in thought. Anyway, she didn't want to disturb the tranquil environment she had just entered.

Well, it _was_ tranquil … until she heard their voices.

* * *

"I guess, I'm just slightly worried about you," Mai shrugged.

"Explain."

She shrugged again and Zuko folded his arms and lay his head on top of them, gently plucking at the grass he was lying on.

"Let me see your finger."

Zuko sighed and buried his face in the grass. Silently, he cursed himself for being so stupid as to run his finger along that blade until it bled. Nevertheless, he held up his finger and Mai examined it, a bored expression on her face.

The cut wasn't really all that deep. It had stopped bleeding ages ago. There was still a bit of dried blood stained around his finger, but it wasn't all that much. With a sigh, she laced her fingers with his and it took him a moment to realize what she was doing.

* * *

"What are you doing?!" was what Suki heard first. She stopped in her tracks and looked around. No one was speaking it to her. It sounded like Zuko. Who was with him?

She heard someone murmur an answer to him and immediately became suspicious. Now she could _really_ smell a rat.

* * *

"Relax," Mai sighed, tightening her grip on his hand when he tried to pull away before she let go. "I was only being friendly." She was blushing. She hadn't meant for that simple gesture to come across like that! Mai didn't look at him – didn't meet his gaze.

Zuko lay back in the grass and looked back up at the sky, one hand absentmindedly laying itself on his chest. His heart was hurting. He wanted to cry. But he wouldn't do it with Mai right there. He wouldn't show her weakness just then. He had to prove to her that he didn't need to be cuddled, because he knew that was exactly what she'd do if he started to fall apart. Zuko didn't want to have any contact with her.

She sighed loudly, getting the message.

* * *

Suki crept a little bit closer, ducking behind bushes. She wanted to know who Zuko was sitting by the turtle-duck pond with and what they were up to.

She pushed some leaves out of the way to peer through to see where the two people were. Zuko was lying in the grass and next to him, her face alarmingly close to Zuko's…

"Mai…"

* * *

Katara entered the kitchen.

"Hey Suki, are you… oh." Her expression hardened. "Hey Toph."

"Hi, Sugar Queen," Toph replied, half coldly.

"Do you know where Suki is?" she asked stiffly.

"She went to the garden… I think."

"Why?" That was strange. Suki had told them that she had left something in the bedroom.

Toph felt her heart stop. _Oh gosh, Suki, I hope you get outta there before Sugar Queen reaches you, because if she sees you talking to Firefly, she'll know you don't completely hate him and that you still believe there's more to what happened than we know._

Instead of telling Katara what was happening with Suki and her trying to find Zuko, she shrugged.

"No idea, Sugar Queen."

Katara sighed, "Can you help me find her? Just incase she's not there," she asked, grudgingly.

Toph nodded and silently followed Katara away. Something in the pit of her stomach told her something was about to go terribly wrong.

_Suki, get out of there._

_

* * *

_

"Ok, I know you didn't mean it like that," he murmured, turning away from her. Why was her face so close to his? He didn't like it.

"Yea… right…"

Zuko chanced a glance back at her, and he was caught in her gaze. He couldn't look away again once his eyes met hers. He knew this was wrong, he wanted to stop this… but he knew that it was too late. He should have stopped this as soon as she had come outside and lay down next to him. He should have known she was trouble.

But as just said – it was too late.

* * *

She didn't know why she was doing this. Well, she did, but she didn't want to believe that was the reason. But then, what other reason would she be doing this for?

Zuko was too shocked by what she was doing to pull away from her.

Mai swooped towards him and shut her eyes. He was still lying on his back in the grass.

One hand on either side of his face, both of their eyes closed, a sweet breeze passing over them gently… and their lips met in something hot and fiery and very, very wrong.

* * *

As Mai lowered her head so that her lips touched Zuko's, Suki felt a furious energy erupting inside of her. Anger flared in her stomach and she wanted to scream. She wanted to kill someone… Mai, definitely. Zuko, maybe, depending on what lame excuse he would come up with. Alright, maybe definitely Zuko too. How could he?!

* * *

As soon as they stepped into the garden, Toph sensed it. She saw it, in her own way – that same way she sees everything else.

Zuko, lying in the grass where she had left him, beside the turtle-duck pond, and that damned bitch Mai leaning over him, with her lips pressed to his. Zuko's heart was telling her that he didn't want this and it wasn't his choice, Mai's told her that she knew she was doing the wrong thing, but she just couldn't help herself.

_Oh gosh…_

And Suki was standing in the bushes, just hidden from their view, absolutely fuming over what she was seeing.

"Um… Katara, I don't think we should be out here."

But Katara had already walked into the garden and began searching for Suki.

Toph silently swore at herself for forgetting about Katara, even for those two seconds, because now there was going to be nothing but trouble.

* * *

Suki couldn't stand this any more, and just when she considered stepping out of her hiding spot and screaming at both Zuko and Mai for being such… such… !#$#, she heard someone coming up behind her in the garden. Something told her that she should get out of there, and Suki started stepping back, forgetting her plans to have a go at Zuko and Mai.

But as Suki turned around, she was met with a slightly shocked set of blue eyes.

"Katara!" She had to stop herself from screaming.

"Suki, what are you doing out here?" Katara asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I was… you see… I –"

"Katara!" Toph whisper-yelled, appearing behind the water girl. "Hey, Suki."

"Hey Toph!" she smiled, wringing her wrists behind her back.

"What's going on here?" Katara asked. She knew something was up.

"Nothing, we were leaving," Suki quickly said, grabbing her wrists and attempting to lead her back towards the palace. She didn't want Katara to see what was going on beside the turtle-duck pond.

"Hold on a sec!" Katara said, raising her voice. Toph bit her lip, knowing that she was figuring this out. This wasn't good.

"No, c'mon Katara, we should get going!" Suki persisted.

"You're hiding something!" Katara accused.

Toph noticed Mai jump back from Zuko. They both sat up and looked towards where Suki and Katara's voices were coming from.

"I am not!" Suki yelled, raising her voice to match Katara's.

Toph edged towards Mai and Zuko, hoping to get Mai out of there before Katara found her there with Zuko.

"Let me go!" Katara pulled her wrist away from Suki's.

Toph felt Mai tense at the sound of Katara's voice and something like spite stirred in her heart. Malice even.

Toph watched in horror as Mai pushed Zuko back down.

"Get off me!" he yelled at her, but she didn't listen to him. She just kissed him again.

"Katara! Stop!" Suki called to her as she moved around the bushes to the turtle-duck pond.

"Katara!" Toph grabbed her wrist. "You need to leave!"

"What are you two hiding?!" she demanded, pushing past Toph.

Zuko tried to pull Mai off him, but he was beginning to panic. He knew Katara was just there. He knew that if she saw what Mai was doing…

"I don't believe this!"

"Katara!" Zuko pushed Mai off him and she sat up smirking. "Wait! Please, I can explain!"

"To hell with you!" Katara spat.

"Katara, wait!"

"Leave her alone!" Suki stepped in, pushed Zuko back when he tried to stand and come closer to Katara.

"Suki! No, wait! It isn't what it looks like, I swear!"

"Guys," Toph tried to get in.

"Is that your excuse every time?!" Suki and Katara yelled at him in union.

"Please, this wasn't supposed to happen, just –"

"Just give it up, Zuko!" Suki yelled at him. "C'mon Katara, we're leaving!"

"Suki, Katara, wait –"

"Move it, Toph!" Suki huffed, pushing past her.

"But –"

They were out of sight in a flash.

"Katara, wait!" Zuko ran after them.

"Why bother, Zuko?" Mai asked, grabbing his forearm.

"Stay away from me!" He wrenched his arm out of her grip. She tried to hold on but he pushed her violently to the ground and glared at her. "I thought you were trying to help me get her back!" he yelled. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Isn't it obvious that she doesn't want you back?!" Mai yelled.

"Only because you won't give her a chance to see that I love her!"

"Zuko, just give it up!"

"NO! Leave me alone!" He pushed her away from him again. With that, he walked off after Katara, although he knew that he'd never be able to come within half a mile of her ever again.

Mai huffed on the ground for a moment and then…

"OUCH!" she cried out as something pushed her against the apple tree. It was an earth pillar, sent by Toph.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" she yelled at Mai. "You were supposed to be helping him save their relationship, not pulling it apart!"

"Well, excuse me! But I got Zuko first! It's not my fault she came along and messed up his head and made him fall for her! We were perfectly happy together, but then _she_ came along! She stole him from me!" Mai protested, finally letting all of her anger, misery and hate about her situation out.

"It gives you no excuse to take him back! Or to try anyway! You don't honestly think that you could have won him back by breaking his heart, do you?! Did you just expect him to come crawling back to you after you ruined his relationship with Katara?!"

"Well, maybe he would have!"

"In your dreams!"

"Piss off!"

"Fine! But I hope you're happy for yourself, because you'll never have him back!" Toph spat on the ground in front of Mai before she walked off after Zuko.

* * *

"Suki, there you are! Where have you –" Then Sokka caught sight of the two girl's angry expressions. "What the hell happened?!" he asked, knowing immediately it would have something to do with Zuko and Mai.

"We found Zuko and Mai pashing in the garden!" Suki fumed. "C'mon, Sokka, we're leaving!"

* * *

"Zuko, stop!" Toph called after him when she knew he would be able to hear him. He slowed down and skidded to a halt a few seconds later and waited for her to catch up.

"I didn't do it! Toph, surely you saw what was happening; you know I didn't kiss Mai!"

"Firefly, calm down!" She put her hands up to shush him. "I know you didn't. I saw what happened, and I already know everyone's side of the story – I know she kissed you and you were trying to get her off you. But Katara and Suki don't know that."

"But they need to understand. I'm not that kind of person!"

"I know! Just hear me out here. We will think of something… some way to get the message to them that it was Mai and not you, and then we need to figure out exactly what happened last night."

Zuko bit his lip and nodded. "But they're leaving now."

"I know, but you got Katara back once before after she'd left. You can do it again!"

Zuko was doubtful and Toph knew it. He slowly leaned up against the wall of the passage they were in and slid to the ground. Toph came and sat next to him and put an arm around him.

"Things will look up again eventually, you'll see."

The Fire Lord tried to smile, but it was too hard to do that just then and every nerve in his body beat him up for even thinking it. But having Toph still on his side brought him some sort of comfort, as if she could click her fingers and make everything better.

**

* * *

**

**Well, there you go – the next chapter of Beneath the Earth up for you all now ^_^ I hope you liked it. Tell me what you thought in your wonderfully wonderful reviews =]**

**Ok, remember, review or no updates! 4 needed.**

**AND JOIN TEAM ZUTARA!!! We've been stuck on 70 members for a while now, and the number hasn't been rising. SPREAD THE WORD ZUTARIANS!!!**


	9. Strike Two

**Thanks to my anonymous reviewers for their reviews on last chapter, and also thank you to everyone else who reviewed. :) Love you guys.**

**Dun dun dun, so here's another chapter. Now just remember, I need four (4) reviews or no update! I love you all, now please read and review and enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

**9. Strike Two**

Mai sighed as everything came back to her. Sitting there under the apple tree, she heard Toph's words replaying in her head.

"_But I hope you're happy, because you'll never have him back! You'll never have him back! You'll never have him back! You'll never have him back! You'll never have him back! You'll never have him back!"_

It just kept going and going, like a choir of scolding voices, telling her the plain and ugly truth. She knew when she had kissed him that she was doing the wrong thing, but it hadn't stopped her. She had wanted it to stop her, but it hadn't. She just hadn't been able to control herself.

_Damn it! Spirits above, damn it to hell! Why the hell did I just go and do that?! I totally just screwed the both of us... and probably Toph now too! Ugh! They're all gonna be so pissed at me now..._

As Mai scolded herself for her so-not-genius idea, a leaf from the apple tree drifted down to rest on her head. She brushed it out of her hair in annoyance and sighed as she stood up. Then, she looked up at the cloudy sky.

* * *

"What's this?" Katara asked, picking up a small and vaguely familiar looking parcel sitting on her father's bed as she sat on its end. She tried to concentrate on the water rocking the ship, hoping that her element would take her mind off her heartache.

"Oh that? Um... well, it _was_ my wedding present to you and Zuko... but I didn't get a chance to give it to you before this all happened," Hakoda explained, slightly nervous about bringing up his daughter's quickly failed marriage. At the same time he tried to stop himself from exploding with fury. That little bastard hurt his little girl!

"Oh... what was it?" Katara asked, once again picking the small parcel up and shaking it gently. Again, she heard that gentle, musical jingling.

Hakoda smiled, "Why don't you open it?"

Katara looked at the parcel uncertainly as she weighed it in her hands. Her father watched her with a hint of concern in his eyes. He could tell from the pained expression on her face that she was thinking about _him_.

"Or... maybe you should go and stay with Sokka and Suki. I'm sure you could all use some rest – you all had pretty full on days yesterday. First you all got married and then you had the party and then you were upset all night because... well, you know," he trailed off, knowing that his words weren't helping her at all. Hakoda hated himself just then, because he knew that there was nothing he could say or do that would make it all better.

But Katara didn't answer him or take her eyes off the parcel in her hands. Instead, she gently lay it down on the bed and started to pull off the wrapping paper, very gently.

Inside were two necklaces – a thin, black, leather strap to go around the neck. But the pendent for each of the necklaces were different. On one necklace, the pendent was Yin. And on the other necklace, the pendant was Yang. The pendent on each necklace was made of glass, and tainted the colour either black or white. When they bumped into each other, they made a little jingling sound and Katara would have smiled were it not for the pain she was going through.

"What are you going to do with them?" Hakoda asked after a long while. Katara looked at him, slightly dazed by how suddenly his voice had penetrated the silence and brought her out of her trance.

"I can't keep them… I wouldn't be able to stop thinking about him if I kept them."

"Maybe you should get rid of them," Hakoda suggested, half grudgingly. "Maybe you should leave them here and we'll go to the South Pole and leave them both behind."

Katara considered this for a moment as she picked up both of the necklaces. In her mind, she pictured it – she was standing next to Zuko, his arms around her waist as he held her. Her engagement necklace tied around her neck and the white Yang pendant dangled in front of her chest. Zuko's black Yin pendant got tangled in her hair and he took his time untangling it, playing with her hair and running his fingers over her ear, sweetly.

The waterbender shook the all-too-perfect image from her head with a sigh.

"I think I'll go and bury them out in the sand. I wouldn't mind a bit of a lonely walk on the beach just now. How long do you think it'll be before we're ready to leave?"

"I think you've got about an hour. Are you sure you want to go alone?"

"I'd rather be alone, yes," she murmured. Hakoda nodded silently as his daughter left the room.

* * *

"Oh, Mai… why does love always have to make a fool out of people?" Yue asked sadly. Azula stood behind her, looking over her shoulder as she bit her lip, hard. If she were human it would have been bleeding. Azula was quite surprised that it wasn't bleeding – she still managed to cry even though she was a spirit. Why not bleed? But still, she didn't.

A single tear ran down Mai's right cheek as she looked up at the grey sky.

* * *

"I'm sorry," she whispered to the sky.

Suddenly, she snapped out of it. That was a strange feeling that had overcome her. _What's it called? Remorse? A deep sense of regret… yes, remorse._

With a sigh of defeat, she left the garden.

* * *

"You can still fix it… or try to anyway," Azula whispered, even though she knew that the girl could not hear her. "It will be hard, but you could at least go and apologize to her."

Ursa put her hand on her daughter's shoulder and Azula pursed her lips and said no more.

* * *

No one saw the two necklaces that Katara was clutching to her chest as she left the ship.

She walked silently along the beach, heading for a mass of rocks that was a collapsed part of the cliff that surrounded that part of the beach. She was going to bury the necklaces on the other side of those rocks.

_I think I'll have time to get over there. Anyway, Dad wouldn't leave without me._

As she moved along, she looked back to see her footprints, imprinted in the sand. She sighed as she tried to stop herself from imagining another set of footprints next to her that Zuko would have left there as he had walked with her. But it was useless – her imagination seemed to want to cause her more and more pain.

* * *

"Where am I?" Aang asked weakly as Long Feng entered his cage-like prison. He lifted his head weakly as that other man came in behind him. But the Water Tribe man was nowhere to be found.

"Far away from where you want to be," the second man informed him. "I am Admiral Shang if you didn't know."

"Let me go!" Aang said as loud as he could. It was pretty weak. He was weak.

Both men laughed cruelly.

"I'm sorry, Avatar," Long Feng smirked. "But you won't be going anywhere."

"What are you planning?!" he demanded to know, his voice chocked.

"Why, isn't it obvious? Why would a couple of powerful men decide to capture the Avatar?" Long Feng asked rhetorically. "Why else, but to rule the world?!"

"You'll never win this game. You will never be able to rule the world. My friends will come and find me and save me and they will destroy you like we destroyed Fire Lord Ozai!"

"Ozai was weak! He was a fool, blinded by love, for his _wife_!" Shang spat. "Those Dai Li agents saw for themselves the way he looked at her when she suddenly appeared in the throne room. He was weakened by love, just as your friends were when we sent Windu for you."

"What are you talking about?" Aang asked weakly as he tried to get up. But there was a searing sensations right through his chest when he raised himself off the floor and he dropped himself back down with a sharp gasp. "What have you done to me?"

Long Feng laughed evilly, "Avatar, do you know why Fire Lord Zuko was found sleeping with Mai the night he married Katara?"

Aang's eyes grew very wide at the mention of the mishap of the night before. How did Long Feng know about that?

"Because… he was cheating on Katara?" It was a question, not a statement. As soon as Long Feng mentioned it, Aang knew he must have something to do with it.

Both men laughed at Aang's statement, "Then why did he go through with the wedding? Why weren't the two of them found together sooner? Do you really think that Zuko did not really love Katara? Do you really think that he slept with Mai on his own free will, or that Mai slept with him on her own free will?"

"You know something! What did you do?! Long Feng, what really happened?!" he asked as he once again tried to lift himself off the ground. He almost got onto his knees, but then Shang kicked him in the back and he fell back to the ground with a harsh thump.

Aang's breath came in hash and sharp gasps. He coughed and could taste blood in his mouth.

"What… what have you done to me?"

"We got the boy who captured you to drug you with a heavy antithetic. We've given you the highest dosage of it we can give you without killing you. Any more and you would already be dead," Long Feng informed him. "They're starting to wear off now, so that's why you're awake, but it's made you sick. And as for what we did… Shang, it was your idea, would you like to explain?"

"Certainly," the Admiral smirked. "You see, Avatar, we needed a distraction so that we could capture you. So we made our little… um, well, we'll call him a servant, knock out Zuko and Mai and put them in bed together so that it would look like something was going on the night of the wedding. While everyone was upset and distracted by what you all thought had happened and Zuko and Mai were confused, we decided that it would be the best time to get to you. And we were right. Our servant got in and out with you and without being caught."

"You… you… you put Mai and Zuko together like that?! So he wasn't cheating on Katara? And she wasn't sleeping with him on purpose? It… really was an accident?!" Aang didn't know what he should feel right now – should he be angry at the two despicable men in front of him or should he be relieved and happy that Zuko and Mai weren't really together behind backs? Either way, he needed to tell Katara that Zuko loved her and that he never meant to hurt her so that she'd stop crying.

"That's right, Avatar, they're both innocent of what you all accused them of."

"You…"

"And just to make sure this isn't resolved too fast, we're going a step further and twisting everything up even more," Long Feng added, before Aang could say what he thought of them.

"What are you talking about?"

"Strike two should be occurring in…" Admiral Shang extracted a pocket watch from somewhere within his robes.

* * *

No one saw Mai as she slunk down towards the docks. The Water Tribe ships were still anchored there and there were a few men moving quickly from the ships to the units and back again. And heading over to where the cliff had collapsed and scattered its rocks across the sand were a single set of footprints. Mai knew who they belonged to and without being seen by anyone else, she followed after them.

* * *

Katara sighed as she stood on top of one of the rocks, out of sight, hidden by the bigger ones she'd already climbed over. She looked down at the sand as she sighed.

The two necklaces were in her hands and she looked at them, half wanting to put one of them on, just so she would know how it would have felt to wear it. But she shook her head and forgot about it. Doing that would make her think about him more, and it would just make her hurt more.

* * *

"Ten," Shang started his countdown.

* * *

"Katara?" a hoarse voice spoke from behind her. Katara almost jumped as she turned to see her.

* * *

"Nine…"

* * *

"Mai," she hissed. "What do you want?"

* * *

"Eight…"

* * *

"I just want to talk to you and… Katara listen, I'm sorry, it's completely my fault, I –"

"Mai, I don't know who you think you are, but –"

"Would you just listen to me?!"

* * *

"Seven…"

* * *

"Why the hell should I do that?!'"

"Because I don't want you to blame Zuko for what you saw in the gardens! It was my fault. Completely my fault!"

* * *

"Six…"

* * *

"I threw myself at him when I heard you coming because I didn't want you two to end up together again," Mai confessed. "And I let jealousy get the better of me."

"So, you really are a selfish little –"

"Well look, maybe I am! And you know what, I'll admit to that!"

* * *

"Five…"

* * *

"Oh, sure you will! I'd like to hear that!" Katara snapped.

"Fine, I'm a selfish little bitch!" Mai yelled in her face and Katara felt her belly flip-flop at how she had done it. She _meant _it.

"Mai…?"

* * *

"Four…"

* * *

"Alright, there, it's my fault! I kissed him! And he's pissed at me for it! It wasn't his fault! It was my fault! It's all my fault! And I don't know what happened last night, but that was probably my fault to! Without even realizing it, it was probably my doing! I probably did something without meaning to that started this whole thing!" Tears were threatening to spill from Mai's eyes as she spoke, her voice holding an alarming amount of emotion, so much in fact, that Katara was stunned.

Katara wasn't so sure how to feel. Should she go off her head at Mai like she was telling herself to or thanking her for telling her that it wasn't Zuko's fault? But then, was it really all Mai's fault?

* * *

"Three…"

* * *

"But you know what, I give up! That was stupid of me to start kissing him out in the garden. Even if it had ruined you two forever, what good would it have done me?!" Tears started running down her cheeks. "It's like Toph said, I'll never have him back!"

"Wait –"

"Katara! He's yours, damn it! None of this was his fault!" Mai yelled at her.

* * *

"Two…"

* * *

"You should hate me! I deserve the world to hate me! I'm selfish and stupid and I've tried to rip you and Zuko apart because _I'm_ hurting!" she sobbed. "But hurting everyone else… it – it isn't going to help me. Is it?" Her voice went back to its usual emotionless tone, but her face still held pain and defeat and misery.

* * *

"One…"

* * *

"Zuko?" Toph whispered.

"Yea?"

"What was that you said your mother said in your vision about protecting Katara?"

The Fire Lord slowly took his face out of his hands and looked up, and slowly turned to face Toph. She stared blindly at him for a long while.

"Oh, dear Agni…"

* * *

Katara saw him – Windu, creeping quickly behind Mai. He had a club in one hand and small potato sack in the other.

"Mai!" Katara pushed the girl to get her out of the way, but Windu swung the club anyway and hit two birds with one stone.

The last thing either of the girls heard before they lost consciousness was a soft jingling sound, and then the distant sound of small glass objects shattering as they hit the rocks.

* * *

Admiral Shang smirked, "Done!"

Long Feng looked to see Aang's reaction. He was glaring at the two men before him, absolutely fuming.

"What have you done now?!" Aang demanded.

"That's no way to talk to us, Avatar," he scolded.

Shang kicked him in the head and he lost consciousness.

**

* * *

**

**Ta da! What did you think of that one? I really hope you liked it. Mwahahaha, and the plot thickens! ^_^ Tell me your thoughts and predictions in a review. And remember, I need 4 of them to be able to update!**

**Oh and JOIN TEAM ZUTARA PLEASE!!!**


	10. Shattered Glass

**Um… thank you to all of my anonymous reviewers? Seriously guys, get accounts! And again, thank you *bows*. Thanks to everyone else who reviewed last chapter as well (I'm referring to those of you with accounts here). Anyway, here's the next chapter. I hope you like it. :D Remember, 4 reviews or no update. **

**Read, review and enjoy. **

**

* * *

**

**10. Shattered Glass**

"Katara?!" Sokka shouted. He followed the footsteps in the sand as they led him along the beach. She should have been back by then. The fleet was ready to set sail and be gone from the stupid Fire Nation. "Katara?!"

When Sokka noticed a second pair of footprints join with his sister's and follow the same path, he started to panic. But when there was a third set, he began to run.

Who was with her? Was it Zuko? And maybe Mai? Or Toph? Typical…

Sokka grunted angrily under his breath. He reached the rocks and started to scramble over them until he was standing at the top of the biggest one. He looked over all of the other rocks and turned to face the way he came. There were the three sets of footprints he'd followed – Katara's, starting back at the docks, then a second pair joining her half way and a third pair, just before the rocks. But Sokka couldn't see anyone or anything in amongst the rocks and there were no footprints anywhere leading back away.

"Katara?!" he called out again. He still got no answer.

Sokka's heart stopped in his chest. What if they'd taken her? Zuko surely owned one of the extra pairs of footprints – had he hurt her… again?

_Spirits, I'll kill him if he's touched a hair on her head!_

That was when he saw it. The sunlight touched the rocks at just the right angle for it to catch his eye. Something sparkled gently in the sunlight. Sokka snapped his head around to look at it and hopped towards it. Hidden from view to those on the other side of the beach, Sokka bent over the rock. There was glass. Not just glass – shattered glass. Some was tainted black and some was tainted white. And lying in the midst of the debris were two black necklace ties. Something in the back of his mind clicked; his father had mentioned the Yin and Yang necklaces he'd gotten Zuko and Katara for their wedding present. He'd gotten a set for himself and Suki as well, only the Yin necklace had a dark blue circle in it and the Yang necklace had a green circle. Hakoda had said that Katara had gone for a walk to burry the necklaces – she must have come here.

But they had not been buried. They were lying there on top of the rocks in pieces.

"Katara?!" he cried out, looking up and about frantically. Something had definitely gone wrong here. He scrambled back up the rocks and looked out over the water. Had she been swept out to sea and not tried to save herself? "Katara?!"

"Sokka?! What's wrong?!" a girl's voice called. He knew the voice immediately and turned accusingly towards the owner.

"What have you done with her?!"

Toph stopped dead in her tracks. "What happened?! What are you on the verge of having a heart attack for?!"

Sokka glared at her and lifted his head to glare at Zuko, standing just behind her.

"What have you done with my sister?! Where is she?!" he demanded.

Zuko's expression was vacant. He should have known something terrible was going to happen. His mother had warned him. Why did he have to forget that tiny little detail about protecting her? Why couldn't Toph have reminded him just a little sooner? Then maybe he could have been in time to save her! But evidently, they were all too late.

"When was the last time you saw her?" Toph asked, knowing Zuko was unable to answer.

"About an hour ago, back on the ship! She went for a walk and never came back, so I came looking for her and followed her footprints over here. But your footprints joined up with hers and now I get here, find you two and I want to know what you have done with my sister," Sokka hissed. He was dangerously angry.

"We only just got here, Sokka. We haven't seen Katara since she left the palace."

Sokka glared at Zuko, "You have something to do with this! I know you do!"

"Well, you're wrong," he managed.

In two steps, Sokka closed the gap between them and had Zuko by the collar of his shirt.

"Listen here, _Zuko_," he growled. "You've hurt my sister enough in the last day or so. The game is over – give her back so we can leave! If you and Mai want to play your dirty game anymore, why don't you just use Toph for it?!" He jerked his head in the earthbender's direction.

Toph frowned, but did not face him. Zuko scowled.

"This isn't a game to me – it's not even fun," Zuko said. "I don't take the people around me for granted and I don't use them. Something has obviously happened to Katara, but I'm sure she'll turn up eventually."

"Ha!" Sokka laughed sarcastically. Toph tensed, sensing how close he was coming to just snapping Zuko's neck. "You know, you're really funny, Zuko! You've got her, just like you've got Aang. Give _both_ of them back, and then leave us the hell alone! You can keep Toph and Mai and whoever else wants to side with you, but let the rest of us go! NOW GIVE THEM BACK!" Sokka's voice broke on the last sentence.

"I don't have any of them! I thought we already established the fact that Admiral Shang took Aang, so he's probably got…" Zuko trailed off and his eyes widened, _dear gods…_ "He's probably got Katara too."

"Where is Shang?!"

"I don't know!"

Sokka made an aggressive noise in his throat and his hand sprung to Zuko's. In half a second, Toph shifted the earth beneath his feet and he was suddenly waist-deep in sand.

"UH! Toph, let me go!" he ordered.

"Not until I'm sure you're not going to kill someone!" she shouted. Zuko reminded himself to breathe.

"Where's Katara?!" Sokka yelled again. Toph covered her ears in annoyance.

"Sokka, just calm down and sort out what you actually _know_," Zuko suggested. "Ok, so, Katara's missing… no, Toph and I have nothing to do with it. It was most likely the same person who took Aang, so it's most likely Admiral Shang… What else do we know for sure?"

"Hey!" Toph suddenly shouted. "What's with all of this shattered glass? Maybe it's a clue!"

"That was my Dad's wedding present for you and Katara," Sokka spat, glaring up at Zuko. "She came out here to get rid of it."

Zuko bit his lip to stop himself from wincing at the thought of Katara handling what was supposed to be her wedding present.

"That's a start," Toph decided, climbing up the rocks and making sure to avoid the shards of glass. "What's this?"

Zuko and Sokka saw her bend down to pick something up. In a heartbeat, Zuko jumped up to join her and snatched whatever it was out of her hand as soon as he saw it.

"_Shang,_" he hissed.

"What?" Sokka asked, trying to turn around in his little trap. "What is it?! Let me see!" He struggled aimlessly for a minute before grunting, "Toph!"

She didn't take her eyes off whatever was in Zuko's hand, but she unearthed Sokka nonetheless. He brushed himself off exasperatedly before joining them on top of the rock.

"What is it, damn it?!" He tried to see over Zuko's shoulder, but it was too small. He walked around to the front of Zuko and looked over his hands.

"A note?" Toph asked.

Zuko nodded, "It's the same sort they left for Aang."

Sokka snatched it out of Zuko's hands.

_The waterbender has been kidnapped. Do not try and follow the kidnapper or rescue your friend or she will be killed._

_Admiral Shang._

Yes, it was exactly the same note as the note they'd found after Aang had gone missing… minus the change of name.

Sokka swore under his breath. Without another word, he turned around and sprinted back towards the docks, clutching the piece of paper to his chest.

"Sokka, wait!" Toph yelled after him. She made to earthbend the sand again, but Zuko put a hand up to stop her.

"Wait," he said. "We'll follow him. He'll want to find Katara… and Aang too. We'll help."

"They'll send us away," she pointed out.

"We won't listen. They're going to need as much help as they can get. I don't care what Sokka says – I'm gonna get Katara back!"

Toph smiled at him, but it didn't reach her eyes. She could see the doubt in his heart. He knew that it was most likely false hope, but he clung to it anyway – anything to let him believe that Katara would be safe in the end.

"That's right, Firefly."

**

* * *

**

Well, there you all go. How'd you like that? Can't you wait to read what happens next? Lol, don't mind Sokka completely skitzing out for a moment there… yes, I did that on purpose. Lol.

**Remember to review – I need 4 or there won't be an update. ;)**

**And JOIN TEAM ZUTARA!!! **


	11. The Compromise

**First off, thank you to my anonymous reviewer Arbiter117, for joining Team Zutara. Yay, we've finally passed the 70 mark! People, I don't care if you're anonymous or have an account or are from a different website – JOIN TEAM ZUTARA!!! ^_^**

**Ok, so thanks to everyone who reviewed. :) You guy are the best. I love you all. I hope you like this chapter and please review – 4 or no update. **

**

* * *

**

**11. The Compromise**

"DAD!" Sokka shouted at he ran along the docks. Hakoda rushed to meet him at the bottom of the boarding ramp of the head ship.

"Sokka, what's the matter?!" he asked, urgently. Then he looked around. "Where's your sister?" Panic was tainting every note of his voice and it nearly went up an octave on the last sentence.

His son didn't speak. Sokka thrust the note towards his father and Hakoda took it, very hesitantly and knowing that it wasn't going to be anything good. He scanned the small note. He read it over and over, wishing harder and harder that the words would change to something good or that they would just disappear and Katara would come skipping up the docks to meet him. But it did no good.

When he heard footsteps running towards him, his head shot up hopefully, but his smile turned quickly into a scowl as he laid eyes on Zuko and Toph. Suki stood a little way behind them, a mixture of anger and confusion on her face.

"Dad, this is the same guy who took Aang," Sokka informed him, panting.

Suki's eyebrows shot up and she raced to his side as his legs gave out. He'd just run faster that should have been humanly possible and it had obviously effected him badly.

"What's happened?!" she urged.

"Katara's gone missing," Zuko answered for him, stepping forward. "Toph and I found Sokka looking for her over the other side of the beach."

"Yea, and I found the note and Hakoda's engagement present to them on the rocks. The necklaces were broken," Toph added.

Suki glanced between them.

"Where does this Shang person live?" Hakoda asked, pinning Zuko to the spot with his icy gaze.

"We don't know. He ran off at the end of the war, when my father fell."

"We need to locate him!" Hakoda said.

Bato raced to his side.

"Is there a problem, Chief?" he asked, looking at Zuko and absentmindedly clutching his club with one hand.

"Zuko!" Ty Lee's voice called. Suddenly, the acrobat was at his side. "Zuko, have you seen Mai, she's…" She trailed off when she noticed the look on all their faces. "What's happened?" she asked.

"Katara's missing… Shang took her…" Sokka moaned. "He took her… just like he took Aang…" Suki patted his back and hugged him tightly. He wept, "We'll never find them!"

"That's not true," Hakoda said, sternly. "We _will_ find them!"

Sokka sniveled pathetically and Zuko had to resist the urge to smack him over the head and yell at him to shut the hell up, pull himself back together and stop acting like a baby. And to stop thinking of all of the worst case scenarios – that was his job!

"Oh, Zuko, what do we do?!" Ty Lee asked urgently. So much drama had occurred in the past few hours, it just wasn't funny. It was ripping Ty Lee to shreds.

Zuko didn't answer for a moment and Toph and Suki both looked to him to try and see what he was thinking.

"Go and find my uncle. Tell him what's happened. He'll be able to help us find them."

"No!" Sokka choked out. "No!"

"Sokka?" Suki whispered, turning back to him.

"No! He is _not_ helping us! None of _them_ are helping us! They can't be trusted! They probably have something to do with it!" he accused, pointing a finger at Zuko, Toph and Ty Lee. He shook Suki off and got to his feet, misery gone, anger returned.

"Sokka, you need us to help you," Zuko said in an even voice, scowling slightly as he said it.

"No! You're not getting involved in this!" he declared.

"Sokka, maybe you should listen to him," Suki tenderly reasoned. She put a hand on his shoulder, but he shook it off violently.

"Are you siding with him too?!" he asked incredulously, rounding on her.

She gasped, "No!"

"Keep it that way! None of them are going to help us!"

"But Sokka –"

"Suki!" he yelled in frustration.

"Sokka!" Zuko shouted over the both of them and before anyone else could intervene. "I know you hate me right now because of everything with me and Mai and Katara, but we need to work together on this one!"

"There is no way –"

"We're not going to be put off from helping you by your negative attitude towards us," Zuko went on.

"You are not –"

"You need us!"

"We do not need –"

"Sokka!" Toph and Suki shouted at the same time.

"He's right! It's the only way!" Toph begged.

"Yea, Sokka, please, let's just deal with them on this one," Suki tried to reason yet again.

"Son," Hakoda murmured, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. Hakoda was on their side. That was it - he'd lost this fight already. "I don't like the idea any more than you do, all circumstances considered. But… I think Zuko's right – we don't really have that much of a choice."

"We're going to need all of the help we can get," Bato agreed, eyeing Zuko.

"And we can resolve the rest of these conflicts later – when Katara and Aang are safe."

Sokka balled his fists and looked up, swallowing a sigh of frustration. The two groups passed each other a silent look and slowly, Sokka nodded, "Fine."

**

* * *

**

**And they're going to work together! Yay. Lol, yet again, Sokka is skitzing out. Don't mind him too much – it's that darn 'warrior's wolf tail' of his. Sorry these chapters are getting a bit short. I hope you liked this chapter. Please review – I need at least 4 or there won't be ANY updates! **

**AND JOIN TEAM ZUTARA!!!**


	12. Waking Up Alone

**Merry belated Christmas and a Happy New Year one and all! Lol, go and check out the Christmas fic I posted - Everything That's precious. :) Thanks for those of you who reviewed it already and thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter ^_^**

**And here's the next chapter. Hope you like it. Please review – I'm making it 5 reviews now, cuz I can. So yea, guys, review. Or no updates.**

**Enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

**12. Waking up Alone**

They agreed to walk back to the palace before they started planning exactly what to do.

"So, as I was saying – do you know where Mai is?" Ty Lee asked her question again.

"No," Zuko answered bluntly. "I haven't seen her since I left her in the garden after … after Katara came over and she tried to make her hate me even more."

Ty Lee's eyebrows curved up in worry.

Toph snorted, "Good riddance."

"What did she do?"

"She kissed Firefly when she heard Sugar Queen coming, to make it look like Zuko was seriously cheating on her."

"Oh…"

Ty Lee noticed Suki trying to listen in on the conversation and smiled. The Kyoshi Warrior straightened up abruptly and pursed her lips.

Once inside, everybody filed into the kitchen where they found Iroh, brewing some tea. The retired general looked up, arching his eyebrows, and studied each of the faces of those who were to make up his new company. He sighed, "What's happening now?"

"Katara's missing too," Zuko informed him gruffly.

"And I can't find Mai anywhere," Ty Lee said, worrying.

"Alright, well, I have a suggestion to make," Toph announced. "We need to search _everywhere_ for them. Let's assume that Mai is missing too, even though I think we can all say we don't give a flying hog-monkey's backsi–"

Ty Lee cleared her throat loudly, giving Toph a cold look.

"Anyway, what I'm saying is, let's search the whole palace from tip to toe, get the guards involved, alert the whole of the city and go around with pictures of them and ask people if they've seen them at all within the past few hours. Guys, this is really serious – it's not a game of hide-and-go-seek anymore… it never was. And this may well be the start of a new war. We need to fix this before it gets out of hand and –"

"Out of hand?" Sokka interrupted. "Excuse me, but the Avatar and my little sister are _missing_."

"And Mai!" Ty Lee added, indignantly.

"How could you think that it's not _already_ out of hand?!"

"Look, Sokka," Zuko called, using as much authority in his voice as he could muster without yelling. All attention focused in on him and he continued. "Ok, it is already out of hand. Toph just means that we need to fix it before it gets even worse. I know it already seems like it's too bad to get any worse, but it _can_ and _will_ get worse if we don't hurry up and move. And we need to move together." He lowered his voice. "It's just like Toph said – for all we know, this could be the start of a new war."

* * *

Aang's head hurt as he opened his eyes. He was in an upright position, leaning forward slightly, his head bowed a little too far forward so that his neck hurt. His hands were chained above this head with iron shackles that strung up to the ceiling. His legs were encased in a metal box which was bolted down to the cold steel floor. There was a choker around his neck, restricting his breathing. He felt weak. And cold. There was not enough air for him to bend. There was no earth. Or fire. Or water. Anywhere. And there was no one else around either. He was alone.

* * *

Even though they'd agreed to work together, it was pretty obvious that no grudges had been dropped. Sokka, Hakoda, Bato and Suki did not group with any of the others when they split up to search the city.

It saddened Zuko quite a bit, but he understood that it was not the time to be worrying about the grudges at that moment. The focus was to find Aang and Katara. And Mai, as Ty Lee kept prompting.

Zuko had alerted all of the guards and a public announcement was being made to alert the citizens of Imperial City that the new Fire Lady (though Sokka disapproved of the title), Avatar Aang and Lady Mai had gone missing, and that Admiral Shang seemed to be the one behind it. The authorities were given the notes and wanted posters were going up for Admiral Shang immediately. As those looking for the missing went about the city, asking people if they'd seen any of them, or even Shang, they prayed that everything would turn out alright.

But with each person who apologized and said that they had not seen any of them, the glimmer of hope in each of their hearts faded away a little bit more…

* * *

She was cold. And whatever she was lying on was hard. And also cold. She felt woozy as she considered trying to open her eyes and when she finally did manage to peel her eyelids back, she found herself looking around at an eerily familiar scenery.

All around her was rocks and it gave the impression of being in a cave. But no matter how far she turned her head, she could find no opening by which anyone could have gotten in or out. But within the cave, there were strange green crystals that gave everything their glowing light touched a tinge of green.

"Oh boy…" Katara sighed, clutching her head. She knew exactly where she was – the underground city of Old Ba Sing Se.

Something – someone – next to her stirred. It startled her and she jumped to her feet. As the blood rushed down from her head, she saw black spots in front of her eyes and allowed herself to collapse to her knees again until she regained her vision. Then, she looked over to where that someone was and recognized who it was immediately.

"Mai?"

The girl did not answer – she just rolled her head to one side, evidently not quite ready to regain consciousness but well on her way nonetheless.

Katara pursed her lips and curled up on the ground where she was, hugging herself in a weak attempt to keep warm, trying to keep herself calm.

* * *

No one had seen the girls or Aang in the city. And there had been no sightings of Admiral Shang either.

"_Ex_-Admiral Shang," Zuko started correcting anybody who said it in front of him. Shang was not part of any of the Fire Lord's armies and was an official fugitive of the Fire Nation. He had lost his authority, position and title of 'Admiral' when Ozai had fallen.

But that didn't change the facts. Nobody knew where Katara, Mai and Aang were.

This was bad.

**

* * *

**

**So how'd you guys like that chapter? :) I hope you liked it, because I'm not changing it – lol, my story! XP Anyway, tell me what you thought in a review. Remember, I need five (5) reviews, or I won't update. So please review. :) Remember, criticism is good. ^.^ Just don't overdo it…**

**AND JOIN TEAM ZUTARA!!!!!**


	13. Shang

**Hey, thanks for all who reviewed last chapter****, including my awesome anonymous reviewers ;). Remember I need five (5) for this one too, or else no update. :) You guys are all awesome. I love yas ^.^**

**

* * *

**

13. Shang

He lingered in the shadows as Long Feng took care of Windu. The Water Tribe warrior was starting to break though the hypnosis the Dai Li agents had performed on him.

"Let me outta here!" he shouted angrily, throwing his weight uselessly against the shackles that kept him chained to the wall, yet another prisoner to add to the collection of the two evil men he'd helped against his will. "Let me go!"

Long Feng was smirking, relishing in the fury and panic and fear in the young man's voice. It was like a sweet, sick lullaby to him.

"I don't think you should be counting on anyone meeting your request, Windu," he said coolly. Admiral Shang couldn't help but give a small shudder when he felt that chill that came so automatically race up his spine.

A Dai Li agent appeared in the middle of the room, between where Shang and Long Feng stood. He faced his master and dropped to his knees, bowing. "Sir, you summoned an assistant?"

"Yes." The evil man spoke silkily. "It appears that my servant here, Windu, has outgrown his hypnosis treatment. I require someone to repeat the process and hope that it works permanently this time." He turned to the Dai Li agent with a cruel smirk. "I do not want him to overcome his hypnosis again. Am I understood? Whoever conducts the process on him this time is to get it right, or else, they will end up much like those who get in my way on purpose and their body will be turned to mince by an ... _accidental_ rockslide."

Shang watched with a smirk on his lips. There it was – that slow, hard swallow of fear that everyone couldn't help but fall victim to whenever Long Feng spoke to them. That slow bobbing of the man's Adam's apple was the perfect giveaway that he was afraid.

No, that's incorrect. The man was not afraid – he was completely and utterly, hands-down, without doubt or question, _terrified_.

The Dai Li agent nodded stiffly, "Yes, Sir." He dared not show any other sign of his fear – he was _trained _not to do so. He kept his face perfectly composed as he bowed once more to his master. "I will go and get some more agents to assist in escorting the prisoner to the Hypnosis Chamber."

"Very good," Long Feng smirked. Then his agent disappeared, letting himself be sucked up by the earth beneath him.

For the few minutes that followed, the only noise came from Windu as he continued to shout at the two men before him – mainly Long Feng, as he was the one right in front of him while Shang remained in the background – and throwing himself against the chains that held him back. Admiral Shang couldn't help but smirk to himself. Windu was an idiot. He should know better than to be wasting his energy trying to shout and intimidate them into letting him go, or throwing himself against the chains. All he was doing was weakening himself. He was just making the game all that much easier for him and Long Feng and the agents who were going to hypnotize him again.

There were four Dai Li agents that appeared to take Windu away. Once the man was gone, Long Feng turned his piercing emerald eyes to the Admiral.

"I am pleased with our success," he said, his face vacant of any and all expressions, chilling Shang's blood and making it impossible to be able to predict him in any way whatsoever. But Admiral Shang was not about to let himself show his fear. The only thing that could have possibly given him away was that slow bob of his Adam's apple as he gave into that hard swallow that nobody could resist when around Long Feng. Whether or not the said evil master mind had noticed the action was something Shang would never know, but he just hoped that it wasn't going to turn out to be a bad thing if he _had_ noticed.

Long Feng said no more and opened the stone wall behind Shang so that both men may exit. They parted ways and Shang went to his quarters.

* * *

As night fell, Zuko retired to his room where he lay on his bed, sticking to one side – a habit he'd gotten into since he and Katara had started sharing. And he refused to let that habit go when she wasn't there. As he lay on his bed, he stared up at the ceiling and sighed.

Shang had her. It felt like the end of the world for Zuko. His Katara – his beloved – in the hands of that sick, twisted, evil _monster_ who was capable of Gods knew what!

Zuko shook his head – he knew exactly what Shang was capable of. After finding out what he had done to his own little sister, Zuko knew that the man did not know of limits. He did not _have _limits.

Zuko bit his lip and a tear ran absently down his unscarred cheek. He'd known that Shang was bad news since the day he'd met him...

"_And might I introduce you to my lovely wife, Ursa," Ozai smirked as he took the woman's hand into his own and held it out for the young Admiral to take. Zuko watched as his mother forced a smile to her lips at the pleasure of meeting yet another one of her husband's friends from the army. _

"_A pleasure to be meeting you, Admiral," she said pleasantly as he took her hand. Zuko watched him, a frown on his brow._

_Shang kissed his mother's hand, "The pleasure is all mine," he bowed slightly. Zuko scowled._

Ursa had always forced herself to smile whenever Ozai had introduced her to his 'friends'. The noble woman did not much fancy these men of violence and war. Of course, the men that her brother-in-law spoke of seemed like decent enough men, so she didn't have to pretend when Iroh was introducing someone to her. But all the men that Ozai spoke highly of in the army sounded so cruel and sadistic and vile and bloodthirsty. Zuko, being his mother's son, went by whatever her opinions were. If she didn't like someone, then he didn't either. Zuko always trusted his mother's judgement and although she was not a judgemental person, she did know the difference between a decent man and one who was not so decent.

"_And might I chance a guess at who this strapping young man might be?" Shang asked, looking past Ursa, right into Zuko's eyes. Zuko's eyes went dark as they met his, and he had to resist the urge to hunch his shoulders and stalk away. _

"_This is our son, Zuko," Ozai said in a bored drawl. "Zuko, where is your sister?"_

_Zuko did not break his eye-contact with Admiral Shang when he answered his father.  
"She's out in the gardens with Mai and Ty Lee," he answered, a little coldly. _

"_Right this way, Admiral. I'd very much like you to meet my daughter." Ozai led the man away, towards the gardens._

_Zuko edged a little closer to his mother, "Mum, I really don't like him..."_

"_I don't either, darling." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "But he is one of your father's friends, so we must respect him."_

_Zuko shrugged her__ hand off his shoulder and ran after the two men. He took a shortcut out to the garden and arrived there just ahead of them and crouched behind a bush as he watched his father present Azula to Admiral Shang. _

"_Azula," Ozai called over to his daughter. She and her two friends looked over to him and Azula left them to stand before her father and his friend. _

"_Yes, Father," she smiled sweetly up at him._

"_Admiral Shang, I'd like to introduce you to my daughter, Azula," Ozai gestured. The little girl looked up at the strange man and curtsied for him. The Admiral smiled approvingly. "She is a firebending prodigy," Ozai smirked proudly. "And she is learning and developing her skills very quickly. Her brother is... rather pathetic against her." _

_Azula__, nearing the age of six, tilted her chin up arrogantly and smirked, straightening her back and holding her hands together behind it, legs parted to keep balance. _

"_And a fine young lady she is!" the Admiral said. _

"_Thank you," Azula smiled, looking up at the man. _

_Zuko cringed at the look he gave her – it was as if she was something to eat. _

"_Quite the perfect little princess too."_

"_Unfortunately, it is her cousin that is next in line for the throne, after my brother, Iroh, dies. And even he won't rain until our father dies," Ozai sighed. _

"_Really. Such a pity."_

_Zuko looked back to Azula's face. It had changed since he'd looked away. There was a very faint crease in her brow that the two men before her were most likely overlooking, but it was not something that could go past Zuko undetected. He bit his lip and scowled harder at the strange man. _

_Ozai led Shang away and Azula stared after him, that __strange look on her face that gave away the fact that she was uncomfortable. _

_That look was something that she would soon learn to __cover up before anyone, even Zuko, could notice she was uncomfortable. _

"_Azula, come on!" Ty Lee shouted over to her. Zuko's little sister placed that smirk back on her face and skipped back over to her friends. Zuko let himself step out from behind the bush and glared after the Admiral's retreating back. When he looked back at Azula, she was looking after the two men as well. Then she looked to him, smiled again, and went on after Mai and Ty Lee as they explored the garden._

Azula remained innocent then. It wasn't until she was about to die that he had discovered what Admiral Shang had ended up doing to her after he had left. Zuko knew it was not his fault that such terrible things had happened to his dear little sister, but a part of him still took the blame upon himself.

A tear trickled down the side of his face. Shang had beaten and raped his little sister, Zuko didn't know on how many occasions. What was he doing to Katara?

"Shang," he whispered up to his ceiling. "I will find you. And if you have lain one finger on Katara, if you have touched a hair on her head, if you have caused her so much as a scratch, your death will be more painful than I was already planning because of what you did to Azula."

* * *

Azula stared darkly into the well as she watched Shang. If there was one person who competed with her father when it came to who she hated most, it was Shang. Everything he'd done to her... everything he'd taken... everything he'd tried to do... everything she had to give him.

The spirit woman cringed in disgust at the thought of him.

_The young girl ran to her father at his call and smiled up at him, "Yes, Father."_

"_Admiral Shang, I'd like to introduce you to my daughter, Azula," Ozai gestured. The little girl looked up at the strange man and curtsied for him. The Admiral smiled approvingly. "She is a firebending prodigy," Ozai smirked proudly. "And she is learning and developing her skills very quickly. Her brother is... rather pathetic against her."_

_The compliment, though an insult to her big brother, made Azula's heart miss a beat and a cruel smile tugged her lips upwards. She stood proudly and looked up at the Admiral her father had just introduced her to._

"_And a fine young lady she is!" the Admiral said. _

"_Thank you," Azula smiled, looking up at the man. _

_Looking at the man as he eyed her, Azula had to resist the urge to shift her feet uncomfortably. She felt a small crease appear on her forehead as she tried to remain as composed as possible. But that look he was giving her, that look of hunger and longing, unnerved her. _

"_Quite the perfect little princess too."_

"_Unfortunately, it is her cousin that is next in line for the throne, after my brother, Iroh, dies. And even he won't rain until our father dies," Ozai sighed. _

"_Really. Such a pity."_

_She swallowed lightly on the lump in her throat and did her best to smile. When her father led them man away, she stood and stared them off. When Ty Lee called, she shook the horrible feeling of danger from her little head and skipped off. But when she reached them and Ty Lee picked up with what she'd been saying before Azula had left, she looked over to where to two men were disappearing to again, that sense of foreboding crept into her stomach and a small, involuntary shiver ran up her spine. _

_As she was about to look away, she noticed her brother. They looked at each other for a moment, and she knew that he didn't like the man who was walking with their father either. She tried to flash him a smile before she rejoined the conversation with Mai and Ty Lee properly. _

That had only been the first time Azula had met Shang. That sense of foreboding never left her. It returned every time she saw him, every time she caught him looking at her, every time she thought of him. And as she grew older and became more developed, the sense of foreboding grew. And as she learned more about the world around her, sick, frightening thoughts ran through her head as she tried to think of what might be going through his head every time he looked at her like that – as if she was something to eat.

She was right not to have dismissed the foreboding...

_She cracked at her father after a while. For so many years, she'd hidden away her feelings – her true self. She'd gone along with whatever pleased her father; even the parts that made her betray Zuko. And finally she cracked and voiced to her father her disagreement. _

_And when her father locked her up in her room, after striking her repeatedly, that sense of foreboding reached its peak. _

_Shang was the next person to pass through her bedroom door before her innocence was stolen from her, forced from between her legs by the paedophile she had seen and feared for nearly seven years. And with his rape came his beatings whenever she chose to struggle. And with his beatings came his pleasure. And with his pleasure came his satisfaction. And with his satisfaction, he left and she could do nothing more than curl up in a ball and cry, wondering why such horrible things were happening to her, wishing for it all to just end, to all be over, to just die. _

_And with all the pain, she was broken. She feared. Feared her father and the man that so constantly stood by his side. The man who over and over was the one to deliver her punishment whenever she displeased the Fire Lord until she escaped him at last, the day she revealed the truth to her brother and then died in his arms..._

Azula swiped the surface of the water in the well, distorting the image of Shang in his chambers, smirking happily to himself.

"One day, you will get what you deserve," she vowed quietly. "One day, everything you've done will catch up to you."

Ursa approached her daughter and placed a hand calmly on the girl's shoulder.

"My love, come away, have a break. The dwellers of the world below us that we are watching rest now. It's a waste of time to continue watching them until their morning comes," she said soothingly.

Azula let her mother lead her away from the well. And for the first time since Azula had arrived in the Spirit realm, she left the secluded area she had found herself in originally with the well, her mother and Yue.

* * *

Shang lay on his bed, looking up at the ceiling, feeling a creeping emptiness welling up inside of him. He'd started feeling that emptiness when he'd lost Azula. And every day since he'd learnt of her death, the feeling had grown a little more each time he'd had a spare moment and his mind had turned to her.

He sighed. He missed the days he could call her his own. She belonged to him. Her father had no problem with it. Really, it was a shame that he was her punishment. He didn't hate the girl – he was quite fond of her.

Azula had been a very pretty girl. Truly beautiful, much like her mother. But not quite the same. Ursa's face had been very angelic and round. Her features had been quite soft and round. Azula had much sharper features, even as a small child, as she was when he'd first seen her. But she was so beautiful.

At first he had been quite confused of his feelings for the girl. She was so young. And she was royalty. What could possibly drive her to want a mere Admiral?

"Absolutely nothing..." he murmured tiredly to himself.

Nothing could have made Azula want him. He was far too old for her in any case. The only reason she'd go to him would be if she was put in an arranged marriage with him... which is exactly what ended up happening. The sad thing was, he knew that she wouldn't be happy as instantaneously as he was. He'd have to show her how much she really meant to him. He'd have to show her he could make her happy. He loved her – he'd have to prove that to her too.

He knew what he felt was not acceptable. So he only ever permitted himself to look at her, and occasionally speak to her. But never alone. And never touch. If he did something wrong and she told someone, he could have been killed on the spot.

It wasn't until after her brother had been banished that he discovered that Ozai had read him like a book. He knew exactly what went through the Admiral's head every time he saw his daughter. And much to Shang's surprise, Ozai didn't mind one bit.

Ozai was not the man Shang had expected him to be. He was not loving towards his children or caring towards his life. Or at least not after she left. He became quite cold after he became Fire Lord. It was something that Shang really hated. But he gave him his daughter. So he didn't mind so much.

"_What do you want from me?" she whispered to him, trying to make herself look as strong as she could. __It didn't work in the slightest. Her face was bruised and tears were forcing themselves down her cheeks from whatever pain she was in. It saddened him, somewhat, and he felt the urge to comfort her. _

_But that was not what the Fire Lord wanted. If he was going to please the Fire Lord and be allowed to continue to see his daughter like this, he'd have to please him properly._

"_I just want you," he said, smirking. He wouldn't let her know what he really felt. It just wasn't safe._

_He taught himself to keep a smirk on his face whenever he hurt her, so that she would never know what he felt for her deep down. And he took her whenever the Fire Lord claimed she needed punishing. _

Shang did not expect to have to honour of marrying Azula at any point. As far as he was aware, he was merely a way of punishing the Princess whenever Ozai felt she needed it. The day Ozai came to him to ask if he'd be interested in marrying the girl, Shang had to keep a very straight face so as not to betray his joy.

"_Of course, My Lord," he said, bowing down to his 'friend'. _

"_You understand as well as I do the risks taken in her punishment, yes?"_

"_Of course, My Lord," he said again._

"_If my daughter were to fall pregnant, unmarried, the people would not think lightly of it."_

"_I understand, My Lord."_

_Ozai's cruel, cold eyes scanned him, "Good."_

When he'd been engaged to the Fire Princess, he was on top of the world. Things were starting to look up. Soon, he'd be able to show her that he really did care. And she would learn his true feelings for her.

That night they were to dine together, he thought she looked absolutely splendid in that sweet red dress. Her raven hair cascaded down her back and over her shoulders like an ink black river, with the moonlight shining off it. Her eyes were so empty though. She didn't want to be there. It saddened him.

And then that boy had walked past while she was standing on the balcony. The way she looked at him... tore Shang's heart out. He didn't even know who the other boy was, only that he saw him again during the final battle before Ozai fell.

But jealousy truly did drive Shang mad.

He'd almost taken her again, completely on his own free will. The only reason he'd failed was because she, for once, had overcome him and knocked him out. Otherwise, he would have taken her as he usually did.

Of course he'd regretted it the next day. So he said nothing to Ozai and apologized to the princess when her father was not listening.

"…_was just telling me of what a lovely evening he had with you last night," the Fire Lord said with a fake smile. "I'm so glad that you are finally getting along nicely with him."_

_At this point, the Admiral gave her a smile; she returned it nervously, but did not show her doubt._

"_Anyway, you are getting married tomorrow! Isn't that grand?! You must go and make those last minute preparations, and I also must be going and attending to my own business." With that, Ozai stood and left the room. Just before he exited, he shot his daughter a look that said __**you're lucky that you didn't screw up on that one.**_

_She and Shang rose at the same time and headed for the opposite door to go and make last minute wedding preparations, but she rounded on him before they could leave the room._

"_Why didn't you tell him what really happened?" Azula asked shortly._

"_Because –" He pulled her engagement necklace out of his pocket. "– I know that what I was doing was wrong. I jumped to conclusions and it made me do something stupid." He placed the necklace around her neck. "And I'm sorry. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to get you in to trouble for something that was my fault."_

_Azula stayed stock still for a moment in confusion. "Well… that was very…very kind of you, Shang," she smiled._

Shang smirked quietly to himself.

But the good things never last.

The wedding ceremony wasn't even completed. The Avatar attacked the city and everything, all the plans, all of the fantasies which were about to become realities, fell apart. He had to help Ozai defeat the enemies. But the attack cost Azula her life at the hands of her own father. And once Shang realized that her brother knew what had happened between them, he knew he couldn't stay – the boy surely would have killed him. He had always seemed quite protective of his little sister, even if they weren't particularly close when Shang saw them.

And there Shang was right in that moment, lying on his bed in the undergrounds of Old Ba Sing Se, looking up at the cold earthen ceiling, thinking, remembering...

**

* * *

**

Yep, Shang's a pedo. Big time. There is definitely something wrong with that guys head...Well, now you know a bit about Shang's background. Tell me what you thought. Remember, five (5) reviews, or no update, so please get those reviews to me peeps ^_^ Love ya's :)

**Guys, seriously, can you go and check out "The Necklace" by She-Poe? It's a really good story but so far I'm the only reviewer. Give the girl a fair chance! **

**Oh and btw, JOIN TEAM ZUTARA!!! XD**


	14. So Who's to Blame?

**Note to anonymous reviewers: Thank you to Thunder and Arbiter117 for your reviews. Arbiter117 (and anyone else who is reading this and was interested), the list of shippings in this fic are on my profile page along with a bit more information on the series :) spoiler alert if you look there! Haha :) **

**And welcome to another chapter of Beneath the Earth. How are you all? I'm good thanks for asking! ^_^ Thank you to those of you who reviewed last chapter, including my anonymous reviewers – much appreciated ;D Keep reading and reviewing and remember, I need five (5) reviews, or no updates! **

**Read, review, and enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

**14. So Who's to Blame?**

By morning, although they were underground and actually couldn't tell what time of day it was, Mai had regained consciousness. She and Katara sat in the caves under Ba Sing Se and waited to see what would happen next.

Before Mai had woken up properly, Katara had looked right around the cave that was their prison in search for some way out... some way to access a decent amount of water... _something_! But nothing came up. There wasn't nearly enough water in the air that she could eliminate in order to do any damage to the rocks, so there was no way of getting out via a hole. Her water skin and Mai's knives and other various weapons that either of them kept on their body had all been confiscated while they were unconscious.

As far as the two girls were aware, there was no way out until someone tried to get in.

"So what do we do now?" Mai asked in her usual bored voice, her signature sigh following Katara's huffy shrug of frustration.

"I can't believe we ended up stuck in here over all of that... I mean, if I hadn't been leaving because of Zuko, I wouldn't have been out on the rocks where no one could see me, trying to clear my head, you wouldn't have followed me over there to apologize and neither of us woulda ended up getting attacked by ..." Katara stopped short and bit her lip, _how could he?_

"You knew him, didn't you?" Mai asked.

Katara nodded quietly, "He is one of my father's warriors."

"What's his name?"

"_Windu._" Katara said his name as if it were poison, and then she sighed. "I bet it's because he's jealous... when I went back to the South Pole, he started fancying me. He kissed me one night and I got really mad at him and we haven't really talked since. I guess he doesn't take rejection well."

"I don't think anybody really does," Mai smirked, a bitter chuckle escaping her lips as she narrowed her eyes at the back of Katara's head. The girls hadn't really made any eye contact the whole time they'd both been awake.

"Hey, look, I didn't _mean_ to make your dear, oh-so-precious boyfriend stop loving you!" Katara said, irritated. "It's not my fault he left you for me. Ok? I didn't ask for it! I was absolutely sure he was gonna end up staying with you after the last battle when we found out you two were in an arranged marriage. I didn't _know_ that you loved –"

"I'm sorry," Mai blurted out, just loud enough for her to hear above her own yelling and ranting.

"I –... what?"

"Same thing I followed you to your little hiding spot on the beach for – I'm sorry. None of this whole cheating business was his fault. When you saw us kissing in the gardens, it was completely me – not him. He was trying to get me off of him. I don't know what happened the first night you two were married, but I know that it wasn't his fault either. I'm not so sure that I did anything – the last thing I remember before waking up is waiting for the boy I'd been talking to at the after party to come back and then blacking out."

Katara frowned, remembering how desperate and honest Mai had sounded as she had spoken and apologized just before Windu had attacked them. She'd sounded furious – at herself, not at Katara. It almost hurt to see her like that. But the only two questions remaining were – was she telling the truth, and did Katara believe her? Katara was only half convinced that the answer to the first was yes, but then again, Mai could have just been acting.

_Some pretty good acting ..._ she thought.

As for the second one, the answer was a definite no. Katara did _not_ believe Mai. She agreed that she was a selfish little bitch, but did not believe Mai was truly sorry for what she had done or that Zuko really had nothing to do with the situations Katara had found them in.

In Katara's opinion, Mai had earned as least half of the blame for everything that had happened. Why couldn't she have just not been jealous that Katara had Zuko?

And for all Katara knew, Windu attacking them was probably staged and Mai had _everything_ to do with it.

But she guessed that they would find out in due time...

* * *

The harsh banging on the door was what startled him from his sleep.

"Uuuh... who is it?" Zuko asked, irritably.

"Who do you think, Jerk Lord? Come on, get up, we need to find my sister!"

"Sokka, the sun hasn't even risen yet," Zuko complained, looking out his window. With a groan, his buried his face in his pillow again.

"I honestly don't care what time it is – it's close enough to sunrise. If you want to help find her, then you're getting up _now_."

"Fine..." Zuko mumbled.

He heard Sokka walk away from the door and groaned to himself as he lay with his face buried in his pillow. He didn't move for a little while and started willing sleep to take hold of him again. He didn't want to face the day. He wanted the fact that Katara was missing to just be a really bad dream. He didn't want the fact that he'd somehow ended up sleeping with Mai the night he'd married Katara to be a reality. He wished that that morning he was waking up in at that very moment was the day of the wedding and all of the horrible stuff that had happened had just been a crazy nightmare, and that Katara was in fact lying next to him, and still in love with him and in a few hours, they'd be getting married and –

"Sparky... c'mon, get up," Toph's voice said bluntly.

Zuko lifted his head up from his pillow too look at her, a frown creasing his brow. The sky outside was a little lighter than he remembered it being when Sokka had awoken him, seemingly minutes ago.

"Did I fall asleep again after Sokka woke me?"

"Yep... but I don't think he really cares. He and the others are all sitting in the kitchen talking over possibilities and doing your job."

"My job being...?"

"Thinking negatively," she said with a smirk.

Zuko couldn't help smiling a little at that. With a sigh, he rolled on to his back and pressed the palms of his hands against his closed eyelids gently. "I guess there's no point me rolling over and going back to sleep in the hope that I'll wake up and find it's all just a dream."

Toph laughed humourlessly, "Trust me, Sparky, I don't think anyone _didn't_ wish they could do that right now."

Zuko smirked. She was right.

"Alright, getting up!" he sighed, throwing back the covers and tossing his legs over the side of the bed in an effort to pretend he was enthusiastic about getting up. Toph just stood there with her hands on her hips and a smirk on her mouth, quietly shaking her head.

Toph left the room and waited outside while Zuko got dressed. Within two minutes, he was standing in the empty hallway outside his room with her.

"So, I guess Sokka and the others are thinking of ways we could find Katara and Aang, and also trying to figure out where Shang might have taken them."

"And Mai, as Ty Lee continues to prompt whenever we list the missing," she smirked.

Zuko chuckled, "Poor Mai, so unloved."

"Well, what can she expect after what she did?"

"Too true."

They walked to the kitchen and entered as quietly as they could, in the hope that they wouldn't interrupt any conversation that was occurring within.

But it was silent. And as the door creaked open, Sokka's head shot up and he glared at the two new arrivals.

"Well it's about time!" he huffed, wrinkling his nose. "Jeez, Zuko, I thought you'd be a little more eager to find my sister if you really _loved_ her," he remarked cruelly.

Zuko opened his mouth to make a harsh comeback, but shut it abruptly when he noticed certain other people in the room glaring at him. He regained his cool and then let his face go blank.

"Sorry, are you doubting my affection towards Katara?" he asked, adding a note of incredulousness to his voice.

The corner of Sokka's mouth twitched as he scowled, "Well, all circumstances considered, I think it would be reasonable to say that your affection towards her aren't as strong as you led her or the rest of us to believe, _Zuko_."

Chewing on the inside of his cheek, he thought. But on second thought, screw thinking – yelling seemed so much more appealing.

"Hey, listen, you wanna find your sister?! Ok, fine, let's find your sister! Let's fuckin' talk about how much I fucking _love_ her _later!_" Zuko shouted, giving Sokka one of those looks that just screamed, _alright buddy, bring it on!_

"No, no, no!" Sokka laughed bitterly. "Let's talk about it now! By all means, let's settle this now! Once and for all! Because I really don't think it would be fair for her to owe you her freedom if your love for her is as screwed up as you are!"

"Why you –"

The two older boys jumped at each other, hands at each other's throats. Sokka threw himself right over the table at Zuko, causing it to wobble violently which, in turn, caused Iroh to spill his tea – both the tea in his cup _and_ (much to his horror) the tea in the kettle which was sitting in the middle.

"ENOUGH!" Iroh shouted over the two boys as they brawled on the ground before him. In one swift movement, he had each of them by the back of the collar of their shirt, one in each hand, and he pulled them away from each other and threw them at opposite ends of the room where they collided with whichever shelves and bench-tops were in their way with a thud as they had the wind knocked out of them. "Both of you pull yourselves together right now! Swallow your pride, get over yourselves, get over what happened with Miss Katara and _clean up this damn mess you made with my tea!_" he ordered grumpily, indicating to the mess all over the bench.

The two boys staggered to their feet, glaring daggers at each other from across the room as they straightened up.

"It was _his_ fault," Zuko mumbled in annoyance.

"Was not, _scar face_! You're the one who was picking a fight," Sokka said, crossing his arms over his chest and sticking his nose in the air.

"Hey, all I did was walk into the room. _You_ were the one who started making the smart-arse comments and –"

"I DON'T CARE WHOSE FAULT IT WAS!" Iroh fumed. He dropped his voice so that it was dangerously low. "I want you boys to clean this mess up, fill the kettle up again, put it on the stove over there, and make a new pot of tea, _right now_."

Zuko and Sokka raised their eyebrows and looked between Iroh and each other, slightly terrified. Then, completely composed, Zuko stepped forward and started mopping up the spilt tea. Biting his lip to prevent another smart-arse outburst, Sokka stepped forward to help him fulfil Iroh's orders.

Nobody spoke until a new pot of ginseng tea was sitting on the table in front of Iroh and a fresh cup had been poured for him. He took and experimental sip while still frowning at the two boys and then his face relaxed and he sighed.

"Sorry for spilling your tea, Uncle," Zuko sighed, rolling his eyes.

"So you should be!" the old man grouched, narrowing his eyes at the two older boys once more. "Now, both of you, sit down and behave yourselves... don't sit near each other at the table either. Don't even look at each other." Sokka and Zuko sat well away from each other. "Now, where were we before this raucous occurred?"

"Uhm, we were discussing the possibilities of where Katara and Aang –"

"And Mai!"

"– might be," Sokka said, ignoring Ty Lee's interruption completely. The acrobat huffed indignantly and crossed her arms. "We were also discussing possible ways of tracking them down and rescuing them. So far, we've come up with a messenger hawk, some sort of private investigator, one of those incredibly-venomous-viper-tracker-hogs and... Well, that's all we've been able to come up with."

"Uhm!" Suki put her hand up.

"Why are you putting your hand up like a school-kid?" Zuko asked blankly.

Suki frowned and made a sour face, "Sokka insisted that we use the pebble system."

"Pebble system...?" Zuko asked.

Suki pointed at the Water Tribe boy's hand and Zuko looked to see Sokka holding a pebble between his index finger and thumb.

"So... lemme guess, we can only speak if we're holding the pebble."

"Yup."

"Ok, that is _so_ lame, it isn't even fu–"

"Uh-hum! Zuko, you are not holding the pebble, shut _up!_"

Scowling, the Fire Lord reached over and snatched the little rock from Sokka's hands.

"I am now. Now listen, _why_ the _hell_ did you put the incredibly-venomous-viper-tracker-hog on the list? If we used one of them to find them, it would kill them."

"That's what I was gonna say..." Suki sighed in annoyance.

Zuko ignored her and kept looking at Sokka. "Whose idea was it?"

Sokka shrugged as if he didn't know. Nobody said anything, but all eyes turned towards him with their eyebrows raised. Feeling all of their stares, Sokka looked up and glared at them all.  
"What?!" he asked indignantly.

"So it _was_ your idea, Sokka," Zuko said simply.

"No..."

Something, my dear readers, which I am sure you all know by now, is that Sokka is a _terrible_ liar.

There were several thuds and whacks as virtually everyone in the room leaned over to hit the Water Tribe boy over the back of the head.

"Ow! Guys..."

"Ok, scrap the list you've made up so far. I have a better idea," Zuko started.

"Hey, who put _you_ in charge?!" Sokka complained openly and loudly.

"I'm the one with the pebble!" Zuko retorted.

"No you're not! Yoink!" Sokka snatched it back.

Fuming, Zuko stood up, snatched the little rock out of Sokka's hand while pushing said boy to the floor and then turned around and threw it out the window.

"No more pebble system! That's got to be one of the _stupidest_ things you've ever come up with, Sokka!"

"It's not _stupid_. It was working until you came along!"

"Sokka, you weren't letting anybody else hold it," Bato pointed out.

"I was too!"

"Um, actually son –"

"Dad, whose side are you on?!"

"No one's! I mean, yours! I mean –"

"Look, guys, this is totally irrelevant to what we're supposed to be doing!" Suki tried to cut in.

"_What?! What_ do you mean, Dad?!"

"Now don't give your father that tone, Sokka."

"Respect your elders!"

"Hey, who invited you into this fight, Mr Oldest Candlestick Ever?"

"How are we supposed to work anything out with them fighting like this...?" Ty Lee sighed.

"Spirits, give me strength..." Suki sighed.

"Told you it was a dumb idea."

"It was _not!_"

"Hey, pay attention when I'm talking to you, Sokka!"

"Dad, I_ am_ paying attention!"

"Sure you were, Sokka."

"Zuko, shut up a sec."

"Ow, what was that for?"

"No, you were talking to Zuko."

"For interrupting Sokka and Hakoda."

"But Suki, he –"

"I DON'T CARE! LET THEM TALK!"

"Suki, can you please keep it down honey?"

"Hey, I'm trying to keep this one off your back for you!"

"Can you do it quietly? I'm sorta trying to talk to my –"

"Sokka! Pay attention! I can't lecture you if you're not listening!"

"Hmph, ungrateful husband..."

"I'm not ungrateful!"

"Ok, where'd that pebble go, maybe it was a good idea..."

"Oh, so _now_ you agree with the pebble system! I told you so, Zuko!"

"Hey, shut up and listen to your dad you twit!"

"I'm not a twit!"

"Listen to your father!"

"No, Bato, let me handle this."

"Give him a smack over the head – that'll set him straight."

"No, not another one, please!"

"Do it! Do it!"

"Zuko, stop encouraging them!"

"But Suki –"

"Whoa, everybody's having multiple conversations. I'm impressed. Especially with Sokka. Jeez, he's like the multiple conversations _king!_ Hey, I feel left out, I'm the only one who hasn't said anything yet, which is quite unusual..."

"Toph! Not helping!"

"Sure it is, Sparky!"

"Uh..."

"ALRIGHT! EVERYBODY, SHUT UP!" Toph yelled at the top of her voice. At first, Zuko, Suki and Ty Lee were the only ones who payed any attention to her and they looked at her and tried to block out the noise from others.

"How many times have I told you not to backchat?"

"Dad, I'm not back chatting – I was answering your question!"

"No, you were back chatting!"

"Bato, let me do this myself!"

"Oh come on! What's the harm in me stepping in?"

"Bato, let Hakoda discipline his son himself."

"Who put you in charge, old man?"

"It's the Retired General Iroh to you!"

"Why won't you listen to me? There is a very big difference between back chatting and answering your freakin' question! What part of that don't you get?!"

"Boy, you are so grounded!"

"What?! You can't ground me! I don't even live with you anymore!"

"You're grounded!"

"What the fuck?! I'm a grown man, Dad! You can't fucking ground me!"

"Stop swearing! You're only making matters worse for yourself!"

"Dad!"

"Yea, well it's Bato of the Water Tribe to you!"

"Don't you backchat me now! You're not even my son!"

"Like hell I'm not your son!"

"ENOUGH!" Toph shouted, stamping a foot so that the whole room shook violently. Several kitchen utensils clattered noisily to the ground and the pot of tea spilled once again. Everyone let out a little gasp of shock and clung to the nearest grounded object.

"My tea..." Iroh sighed when all was still again.  
"Alright, as entertaining as listening to you guys squabble is, seriously, can we please get down to business? If we'll all sit down again, I think Zuko had something sensible to suggest for the list of how to track down and rescue Katara and Aang."

"And _Mai_," Ty Lee hissed through gritted teeth.

"Fine." Everyone sat down with a bit of a huff and a sigh of relief and all eyes turned back to Zuko.

"What did you have in mind, Nephew?" Iroh asked, folding his hands in his sleeves.

Zuko opened his mouth to express his suggestion, but just as he was about to speak, he stopped short and closed his mouth. Then, he turned to Sokka and glared at him. "I can't bloody remember."

Everybody groaned and Sokka received several more slaps over the back of the head.

"What?! It wasn't my fault!"

"Well if you had just shut up and forgotten about the stupid pebble system and let Zuko speak –"

"Guys, please, not this again..."

"Suki, who's side are you on?!"

"Sokka, don't speak to your wife like that!" the three older men in the room said in union.

"Do you mind?!"

"Guy's, focus, maybe Zuko will remember if we all shut up! HINT, HINT!!!"

"Nope, forget it, Ty Lee, it's gone..."

"Aw man..."

"You are grounded for at least the next three months, Sokka."

"Dad, you can't ground me! I'm a fully grown man."

"And I'm your father!"

"You sure you won't be able to remember?" Suki asked hopefully.

"Nope. Not a chance in a million years."

She sighed and she, Zuko, Ty Lee and Toph sat back and listened to the others arguing about Sokka's grounding.

"This is what I call entertainment..." Toph smiled, leaning back in her chair and propping her feet up on the table.

* * *

After much more arguing and debating over Sokka's grounding and a few more squabbles in which the whole group minus Toph had participated greatly in, after the morning had grown old, after they had all stopped to have something to eat after Sokka had started complaining that he was hungry, after the mess of tea had been cleaned up _again_... and several more times because something was constantly causing it to spill again... after everyone's voice had gone hoarse from yelling and after they had all become quite exhausted and given up so that they could all catch their breath and regather their thoughts and attempt to focus again and after they had been sitting around the table in the kitchen in silence for a few minutes (minus the occasional sigh and groan), Zuko's eyes lit up and he snapped his fingers and let a relieved smile take his lips.

"I remember!"

Everyone sat bolt upright and looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

He opened his mouth to say something... and his face fell again, "Fuck that..."

Everyone sighed again and several heads were heard further down the hall by the palace servants as said heads hit the table.

"Oh, that's right! We need to find Jun, the bounty hunter. She and her animal tracker thingy will find Katara and Aang in no time!"

Everyone looked up at Zuko with wide eyes as they took in the information.

Then Toph cleared her throat, "Um... would you mind explaining to those of us who don't know, who this Jun person is?"

"Yea..." Suki said.

Ty Lee nodded silently – she couldn't even be bothered prompting Mai's name when they referred to who they were trying to track down anymore.

With a sigh, Zuko, Iroh and Sokka explained to the others who Jun the bounty hunter was and explained about her animal tracker.

"A shirshu," Iroh said. "It is quite amazing... actually, we used it to track down Miss Katara before – while we were still chasing the Avatar."

"That thing was creepy..." Sokka said.

"My favourite part of that fight was at the very end where it struck Jun with its tongue and she fell and I went to catch her and she fell on top of me and I pretended it had hit me too so that I wouldn't have to move."

"Uncle, you're so sick..."

Everyone stayed quiet for a little while and then Toph spoke up. "I think Jun and her shirshu will do the job perfectly!"

"Finally, something we can all agree on," Sokka sighed. "So... where can we find her?"

Zuko furrowed his brow and sighed in frustration, "No idea..."

"Oh, well that's useful," Sokka rolled his eyes.

"Hey, if you had just stayed quiet and let me talk earlier, I wouldn't have forgotten it and we could have had this figured out three and a half hours ago!"

"Well, look, you were acting as if you were in charge of the place!"

"I _am_ in charge of the place! I'm the Fire Lord!!!"

"Oh... well, that's beside the point. What I mean is –"

"Guys, please, let's not do this again..."

"No, no, let me have my say here. I'm just saying that –"

"Sokka! Give it up!"

"Fine..."

**

* * *

**

**Hehehe, excuse the comedy ^_^ I could not resist. Tell me what you all thought ;) I hope you liked it. How much did you laugh? I hope it was funny... I don't like trying to make people laugh and failing... I mean, even if you didn't laugh out loud it's ok, just as long as you were laughing on the inside =) **

**So... yer, five (5) reviews or no update. **

**And I'm going away in a couple of days and I have a feeling I'm not gonna have the next chapter up by then. So I apologize for the lateness of the next chapter ^_^ But fear not dear readers! I will return soon! *zoom!* **

**Oh, and join Team Zutara XD AND CHECK OUT 'THE NECKLACE' BY SHE-POE WHILE YOU'RE WAITING FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!!! XD**


	15. Location

**Sorry for the long wait peeps! I went away on holiday for a few days and when I came back, randomly became a little more popular than usual... probably because I had to cancel all plans from last week because I was grounded and the people I'd missed out on seeing all wanted to see me at once... anyway, all good, back now. Here I am and here's the next chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviewed ;) Remember, five (5) reviews, or no update.**

**So, read, review and most of all, enjoy! ^_^**

**

* * *

**

**15. Location**

As soon as they figured out there was no way to track down Jun the bounty hunter on their own, Zuko spoke to some authorities.

"She was a bounty hunter, which means that she goes to the authorities with whichever crooks she catches so she can claim her gold. If we can find out where she last was when she caught the last bounty, we'll at least have a starting point," Zuko said, trying to convince himself more than the others that they'd actually end up getting somewhere with this. "Anyway, if we're lucky, they might even be able to tell us who she's after next and where they might be."

"Good job, Firefly," Toph smiled.

While they all waited for word from the authorities about the possible whereabouts of Jun, they sat in the kitchen in a very strained silence.

"So..." Sokka started.

"Sokka, please don't talk, I still have a headache from earlier," Hakoda complained.

The Water Tribe boy huffed indignantly and muttered something under his breath.

"What was that?" Bato asked harshly.

"Nothing."

"No, Sokka, do come on and tell us," Bato prompted.  
"I said –"

"Look, I don't care what you said or that he wants to know! I'm the Fire Lord and I say shut up!" Zuko growled in frustration.

Suki, Ty Lee, Sokka, Hakoda, Iroh and Bato all blinked at him in shock. Toph snorted.

"Jeez, talk about P.M.S-ing..."

Zuko's forehead made contact with the table and he groaned.

* * *

Admiral Shang and Long Feng had a synchronized walk. They put the same foot forward at the same time, stood straight and tall with their shoulders back and their faces tilted upwards in arrogance. The only difference was that Long Feng folded his hands in his sleeves when Shang did not.

Shang let Long Feng enter Aang's holding cell first.

"Avatar," Long Feng greeted him.

The boy lifted his head up to peer at the man. There were dark rings under his eyes and his face was pale. He was malnourished and dehydrated. It hurt to move and it felt like his arms had come right out of their sockets, and considering the way he was hanging from the ceiling, it didn't look like they'd be positioned back into the sockets any times soon, unless Shang and Long Feng intended on releasing him... which Aang doubted.

"What do you want?" he asked bitterly, looking the man dead in the face.

Long Feng smirked. It took a lot of courage to do something like look him in the eyes. He had to admit, the kid had guts.

It was a shame they would rot in due time.

"Just thought I'd let you know that the two young ladies we plucked from amongst your friends back in the Fire Nation are starting to wonder why they are here."

These two young ladies caught Aang's interest. "Who have you captured?! Let them go!" he shouted, face contorting in pain as he threw his weight against the chains. He choked as he cut his own airways off momentarily.

"Now, now, Avatar. It's just the Water Tribe girl who married the Fire Lord," Shang said. "Unfortunately, there was another girl with her when our servant went in to capture her, and we ended up with both of them... you're familiar with Lady Mai, yes?"

Aang gasped, "You've got Katara and Mai?! Let them go!" Aang shouted, his voice ringing in his own ears. The two men before him remained indifferent. "What do you want from us?!"

"We want the world at our hands," Long Feng answered, smirking. "We want to be in control of everything."

"With you and the Fire Lord's wife in our hands, we are so much closer than we've ever been before," Shang said.

"Unfortunately, it seems that your friends have a little bit too much information on our servant and it is possible that they know who he is, which means we can no longer use him for the part of the mission we were using him for earlier – that was kidnapping you." Long Feng rolled his neck smoothly, letting the joints crack before her returned his gaze to Aang. "Do you have any suggestions as to who we could hypnotize instead of Windu?"

As if on cue, the Water Tribe boy they had made their slave strode into the room, eyes on the ground and completely void of thought or emotion. It was as if he was a zombie, and Aang cringed at the thought, remembering Joo Dee and Jet when they had been hypnotized.

"Yea, I suggest you let us all go – you have no idea what you're doing!"

"Actually, that is quite incorrect. We know _exactly_ what we are doing," Shang smirked. "We are looking for someone we can hypnotize who can get into the North Pole and assassinate the Northern Water Tribe's Chief without being suspected or caught. We are also looking for someone to keep tabs on Chief Hakoda and wait for an opportunity to take him out too. We're also looking for someone to kill King Bumi. Along with a number of other officials and nobles we'd like to have eliminated."

"You'll never get away with this," Aang hissed.

"So far we have been pretty successful. I don't think it's going to go downhill anytime soon."

"You'd be surprised."

"So would you. Did you know that Fire Lady Katara carries the child of Fire Lord Zuko?" Long Feng asked, looking right into the young monk's eyes.

A wave of jealousy washed over Aang momentarily and he looked to the ground and squeezed his eyes shut so that he could calm himself.

On the mention of pregnancies, a flicker or pain crossed Admiral Shang's face. But Long Feng wasn't paying him any attention and it went unnoticed. When he recovered his composure, he looked at Long Feng, slightly curious about how he knew.

"How do you know?" Aang asked. Shang tried to zone out.

"Vibrations are a very unique thing. You can learn a lot about a person through them." Aang stared worriedly at him. "Of course, nobody here is as good at it as your dear friend Toph. But we're practicing."

"You're ... you can't... I mean, you..."

"What's the matter, Avatar?" Long Feng mocked, bringing his face right up to the young boy's.

Aang didn't answer. He pressed his lips firmly together and glared daggers into the other man's face.

Smirking, Long Feng turned to walk away and Admiral Shang followed him. At the door, Long Feng turned around again. "Oh, and one more thing," he said. "What do you think we should do with Mai? Shall we just kill her, because we do not need her, or should we keep her for our own... pleasures?"

Aang growled in frustration and disgust and struggled against his chains again. But Long Feng and Shang disappeared unharmed.

* * *

"Fire Lord Zuko," a messenger from the police bowed as he entered the room. "The authorities have found a lead on the whereabouts of Jun, the bounty hunter."

Zuko stood up and smirked, "Finally. Tell whoever sent you I will meet them to collect details immediately."

The man scurried away to fulfil the Fire Lord's orders. Zuko turned to the others, "We're going to find them."

* * *

When the walls shifted to create an opening in the cave, both girls were on their feet and in fighting stances immediately, despite the fact that they were unarmed.

"Well, it has been a long while since I have seen either of you girls," Long Feng greeted them, stepping towards them. Admiral Shang followed closely behind him.

"What do you want, Long Feng?" Katara demanded, glaring at him.

"We just wanted you, my dear Fire Lady," he laughed mockingly, spreading his arms as if he would embrace her. But he did not get that close to her.

"Why?" she asked coldly.

Long Feng chuckled lowly, "Because having you here, along with the Avatar, will send the world into chaos. And it puts me in a position where I can manipulate quite a number of people and use them to my advantage." He stopped for a moment and his smirk widened. "I know that having you here will bring Fire Lord Zuko here. I'd like to use him to help me take over the world before I kill him, and the rest of you. I mean, I could do it all on my own, but why make things difficult when they could be so easy?"

"You're sick. And your plan won't work!" she spat, her voice raising an octave.

Long Feng smirked, feeling satisfied, "You don't even believe your own words, Katara."

The waterbender shut her mouth and swallowed at the dry lump in her throat. Long Feng chuckled quietly – he'd won.

"As for you, Lady Mai," he said, turning to the other woman. "I have absolutely no need for you. You were only brought here because you were with Katara when Windu attacked her and we couldn't afford to have you running off to tell the others and give our game away. What do you think we should do with her, Admiral?"

Long Feng did not turn around to look at Shang, but the Admiral answered with a perfectly straight face, "Allow me to suggest that we keep her for... pleasuring purposes."

It was evident that Mai's body stiffened at the thought – she knew exactly what he meant. And she didn't like it one bit.

Much to her surprise, Katara stepped in front of her defensively, "You'll have to go through me if you want to touch her!" she hissed.

Admiral Shang smirked widely and let a laugh escape his lips, "And you think that will be terribly hard?"

Katara did not move, but both of the men knew they were terrified.

With a click of his fingers, Long Feng had summoned Windu to the room. His eyes, void of anything human, bored into Katara's and she shook her head slowly, pitying what had happened to him – what they were doing to him.

Windu had a club in one hand. Swinging it towards her was enough to make Katara step back to avoid letting it make contact with her head, but she had moved enough for Shang to grab Mai and Windu kept his place between them.

"Get your hands off her!" Katara shouted. Mai did what she could to fight Shang off, but it wasn't enough.

"You return her after you've had your fun, Admiral," Long Feng drawled. "I'll retrieve her when I feel the urge."

"As you wish," Shang smirked, dragging the girl away.

"Mai! You sick bastards! Let her go!" Katara tried to get past Windu, but he was far too strong and pushed her back so that she fell to the floor.

By the time Katara was on her feet again, she was alone.

As much as she didn't like Mai at that point in time, she could never wish for something as horrible as what that man was about to do to her.

"No..."

* * *

Panic was coursing through her body as she struggled against the grasp of the man who had, once upon a time, raped one of her best friends, and was about to do the same to her. Fear blocked out her logical thinking and tears of fright came to her eyes.

Mai was use to being able to remain at least seemingly indifferent to the goings on around her. But this situation was too extreme to be taken lightly.

As hard as she tried, she could not get away from him. He was far too strong.

_Agni, help me..._

* * *

Jun had last been seen in the Northern regions of the Earth Kingdom. Once that had been confirmed, the group came together to decide how they'd get there.

"I can arrange for ostrich-horses or komodo-rhinos to get us from here to there, but that might take a bit of time, so –"

"So forget it – we've got Appa!" Sokka reminded him.

"Oh... right."

"But we can't _all_ fit on Appa!" Ty Lee pointed out.

There was a silence between them as they all looked around at each other, hoping for the resolve to the problem to jump out at them.

"We won't need to," Iroh began. "We can't all leave. Somebody has got to stay and take care of things here."

Zuko's eyes widened, "Uncle –"

"Go on and save your beloved, my Nephew," the retired general smiled. "You can win your heart back while you're at it."

Sokka, Hakoda and Bato stiffened at that and Sokka cleared his throat loudly.

"Win their trust back too."

"I will, thank you, Uncle."

"And Hakoda and Bato will stay behind with me," Iroh explained.

"We will?" the two said men asked in union.

"Yes," Iroh nodded. "These kids" – Iroh looked at all five of them – "are capable of finding Fire Lady Katara, Lady Mai and Avatar Aang on their own. They have already accomplished great things. Our time to shine ended long ago – let us let them continue!"

After a moment, Hakoda and Bato nodded.

"Alright, you guys can take care of things yourself," Hakoda nodded. "Good luck."

"Come on guys!" Ty Lee cheered enthusiastically. "Let's go!"

They all rushed to get their bags together quickly, only taking the essentials so that they could survive. Within the hour, they were all gathered around Appa in the large stable on the edge of the city which Zuko had had constructed especially for the Bison. Zuko and Sokka (grudgingly) worked together to get his saddle on is back and secure it. Then, everybody piled on and with a map handy and the three older men waving them off, Sokka said, "Yip-yip!" and the Appa soared up into the sky.

* * *

**Okie dokie, and there you have it, my peeps! Chapter 15. I do apologize, once again, for how long this took to write – on top of going away for a few days and then having friends hassle me to hang out with them, I had a bit of a writer's block and lack of motivation. But there you go, I did it ^_^ **

**Let me know what you thought and remember, I need five (5) reviews before I can update. Love ya's all. ^_^**

**By the way, JOIN TEAM ZUTARA!!!**


	16. An Eerie Presence

**Greetings ladies and gentlemen and welcome to chapter 16 :) Thank you to everybody who reviewed last chapter and I hope you enjoy this one ^_^**

* * *

**16. An Eerie Presence **

"How long do you think it's going to take for us to reach this place in the Earth Kingdom?" Sokka asked, leaning over the map as Zuko steered Appa.

"Not long – a few hours. We should be there by sundown."

"Sounds reasonable enough," Sokka nodded, frowning at the map.

"But how are we going to locate her properly? I mean, she's a bounty hunter – she'll probably have moved on by now!"

"The point of getting to this place in the northern Earth Kingdom is so we have a place to start. The people who live around here aren't likely to have missed a giant tracking animal with a hot middle-aged woman riding it passing by," Zuko explained.

"Um... right."

"So even if Jun has already headed off somewhere else by the time we get there, at least we have a starting point!"

"Fair enough..."

They flew on in an awkward silence.

* * *

Mai fell to the ground as Shang forced her into his bedroom.  
"Get away from me!" she hissed, trying to swallow her panic. Showing her would only make her weaker. "Stay away!"

But shouting at him would do her no good. He forced her onto the bed and started to rip her clothes off.

* * *

"Azula, what are you doing?" Yue asked as the girl frowned at the image in the well.

"Let's see if I can use my mother's trick to help her," she murmured.

Ursa held Yue back so she wouldn't touch Azula as the Fire Princess lowered her face into the water of the well.

"Good luck, my darling."

* * *

Shang forced his lips onto Mai's as he pried her shirt away from her body and began to pull away her breast bindings. The girl struggled helplessly beneath him, trying to get him off her. But she wasn't physically strong enough.

Tears streamed silently down her face as she forced herself to show no fear. She knew she couldn't get out of it. If this would be her fate, then so be it. She just hoped he would spare her life long enough for her to get her revenge.

A sense of calm washed over her as she stared up at the ceiling. She felt herself stop struggling against him and stop crying. But at the same time, she felt him pause in undressing her. She looked to his face and he was looking over his shoulder, as if someone had walked into the room. Mai tried to look around him, but she could not see anybody.

"What?" she heard him whisper.

Looking back at his face, she found it draining of colour. He started trembling slightly, but quickly recomposed himself. But he did not return his focus to Mai. Instead, he let her up.

"Get dressed," he commanded. Mai only hesitated for a moment, wondering what was going on. Then she quickly redressed and then turned to face him again, keeping an eye on him and wondering what might be going through his head.

After a moment, he reached for her and grabbed her by the forearm. Mai panicked for a moment and tried to struggle against him, fearing that he had reconsidered letting her go unharmed. But when he started dragging her towards the door again, she let him.

She managed to click her brain on and told herself to take note of the passages in case she was able to locate and escape. An earthbender joined them after a moment and at some point, he made an opening in a stone wall they had stopped in front of. Shang forced her through the opening and she put her hands out in front of her to catch herself. When she turned to look at him over her shoulder, the opening was closing up again.

"Mai, are you alright?" Katara asked as she dropped to her knees at the girl's side.

Mai turned to look at her, a frown on her face, "Yea... I'm fine."

She got to her feet and looked around, only to realize she was back in the cave she had woken up in.

"What happened?" Katara asked, wondering why the girl wasn't in absolute hysteria. Had she not just been raped? But then again, it hadn't been all that long. Katara doubted that Shang would have been done with her that quickly.

"I... I'm not sure. He stopped," she said, shrugging, her voice returning to its usual bored tone.

"But why?"

"I dunno," Mai said honestly, turning to look at her in the eyes. "But... huh, never mind."

"No, c'mon, tell."

Mai shook her head gently, "It sounds stupid."

"Tell anyway," Katara said. Then, she cleared her throat and tried to make it seem as if she didn't care quite so much. "I mean, it's not like there's anything better to do than talk... about _something_," she said.

Mai looked at her and shrugged, "It just felt like someone was there. Someone other than me and him, I mean. Someone watching us. And the way he just stopped and looked over his shoulder... it was like he could feel someone was there too."

"Hmm..." Katara frowned. "Sounds odd."

"Yea... see, told you it sounded stupid."

"Well, it least it gave us something to talk about... for a few seconds anyway."

"Yea... right..."

* * *

He could not escape her.

Well, he couldn't prove it was here – he couldn't actually see her. But he could _feel_ that it was her. And that scared him.

He took Mai back to her prison and left her there in the hope that _she_ would go away. But that eerie presence that told him that she was there did not leave him. It followed him. He ran from it, quite literally, causing a few Dai Li agents that he passed to stop and stare briefly. And it left him wondering if perhaps he was going mad.

But that feeling _had_ to be real.

He ran to his room and shut the door loudly behind him. But she followed him into the room.

"I know you're there," he whispered. He leaned his back against the door and tried to control the thudding of his heart. "Ok, look, I let your friend go, see?" She didn't leave him. He realized he was panting and his legs began to give in beneath him. He let himself slip down the door to a sitting position on the ground. "What do you want from me?" he gulped. "I'm sorry..."

* * *

Sokka had insisted on taking over flying Appa after he had started complaining of Zuko's steering skills. The others had urged him to just listen to Sokka and let him drive to save them from having to endure yet another argument. Having a brawl in mid air as they had been at the time was not exactly the brightest of ideas.

The Water Tribe warrior brought the Bison down on the edge of the town Jun had last been sighted in. Appa groaned in relief as he settled down on the solid ground, absolutely exhausted because of the long amount of time it had been since he had last flown with so many passengers.

"Good Appa... jeez, all this flying makes a guy hungry. Hey, Suki, pass me my backpack would you?" he called over his shoulder. With a sigh, the Kyoshi Warrior threw his pack at him. "What it! There's precious food in there!"

"Sokka, we're on a mission to find your sister and the Avatar –"

"And Mai!" Ty Lee put in.

"– and all you can think about is your stomach?" Zuko growled. But his face held a slightly amused smirk of victory – if Sokka thought Zuko didn't really care about Katara then he had better take a look in the mirror in Zuko's opinion.

"Look, if I don't eat, I'll die, and then I won't be able to help my sister," Sokka said, shoving his hand into the depths of his backpack and fishing around blindly for a bag of blubbered seal jerky he'd packed for himself. But he could not find it. Instead, he pulled his fingers away with a yelp when they brushed up against something furry.

Chattering and excited, Momo leapt out of the bag and started clinging to Sokka's head, glad to have been released from his baggy confinement.

"Momo! No! Oh, please tell me you didn't eat ... aw, you did!" Sokka moaned, turning his bag inside out. "Stupid lemur!" he shouted, grabbing his furry little tail and flinging him to the ground with a huff.

"Hey, be nice to Momo!" Ty Lee shouted disapprovingly, back-flipping out of the saddle and landing neatly next to the little fur ball sprawled on the floor. She picked him up gently and started stroking him as she cradled him in his arms. Seeming to like this attention, Momo cuddled up to her, causing her to swoon. "He's so cute!"

"He ate my blubbered seal jerky!" Sokka whined.

"Sokka, nobody cares about your stomach!" Toph informed him bluntly. "Now focus! We have to go into the village and ask around about Jun – we can get food while we're there."

Sokka mumbled indignantly to himself and crossed his arms over his chest.

"She's right, Sokka," Suki said sweetly, coming up to sit beside him. She wrapped her arms around him and cuddled him. "It'll all be ok." She gave him a little peck on top of the head and he sighed.

"Fine... let's go then."

They left Appa where he was, deciding he was safe on his own there and they all trooped into the village, Ty Lee still holding Momo in her arms.

As soon as they passed by the first pub, Sokka steered them in.

"Eat first, then we'll ask around for the tracker chick," he said.

"We can ask around for her in here," Zuko informed the other, knowing the information would be useless to Sokka, who wasn't even listening. "She likes to hang around pubs and bars and all that where she can get drinks and get money by arm-wrestling buff guys."

"So, chances are, she's been in here?" Toph asked as they all found a table. Sokka picked up a menu and scanned it with eager eyes.

"Yep."

"Hey, if you guys don't hurry up, I'm gonna go order without you," Sokka warned.

Zuko sighed, "Then go! We've got things on our minds that are more important to us than our stomachs."

"Guys, calm it down," Suki said, sitting between the two boys in the hope to reduce the chances of another fight.

"I'm gonna go order," Sokka said.

"Um, excuse me, lady," a gruff voice spoke from behind them. They all turned to see a man tapping Ty Lee on the shoulder. He held a mop in one hand and a murky bucket of water in the other. He stood tall with jet black hair that shone a little in the light. His skin was a deathly pale colour and his eyes were hard and black. "No animals inside. Take your little friend outside before I paint the walls with his guts," he warned, pointing a finger at Momo.

"Um... do you work here?" Ty Lee asked meekly, clutching the lemur to her chest.

The man nodded, keeping his eyes glued to the little animal. "I'm a bus boy and I work here this night every week."

"Oh, ok, I'll take him outside and... leave him there," she said, awkwardly standing up and shuffling outside.

The man cast his eyes over Zuko, Suki and Toph, who were still sitting around the table before he began to move away.

"Ah, excuse me!" Zuko called after him, thinking quickly. The man turned around to look at him. "We need to ask you a few questions – we're trying to find somebody. A woman by the name of Jun. She's a bounty hunter and was said to have passed through here recently."

The man stiffened for a moment and frowned, "Sorry, I don't help out stalkers."

Zuko frowned deeply, "We're not stalkers. We need her help in finding someone else – my wife has recently gone missing. Fire Lady Katara. Our friend Avatar Aang is also missing. We want her to help us find them."

The other man scrutinized Zuko harshly with his dark eyes, "You're the Fire Lord?"

Zuko nodded. "And I've worked with Jun once before. If she could help us now, her reward would be... more than decent, I'm sure you would agree."

There was the sound of shattering glass somewhere in the background and a hard old voice shouted out, "Hey, bus boy! Enough chit-chat! Come clean this mess up or ye won't get paid!"

With one last heavy look at the group, he disappeared to clean up.

"Well, that went well," Suki sighed sarcastically. "Jeez, what a creep!"

Ty Lee rejoined them and sat back down, "What did I miss?"

"That guy who told you to get rid of Momo wouldn't tell us about Jun," Zuko informed her.

"Did he actually know anything? Who knows, maybe he didn't."

"Something about him told me that he did know. He just didn't trust us. Toph?" Zuko asked, turning to her to get her opinion. "Um, Toph, are you alright?"

The girl had a frown on her face and she looked as if she was trying hard to concentrate. "Yea, just..."

"What is it, Toph?" Suki asked, leaning in closer.

"It's nothing, don't worry. I think I must need food more than I realized – my senses of perception aren't up to scratch. It might also have to do with being on Appa again..." she sighed. "I'm gonna get some food. Sorry guy, excuse me." She got up and disappeared.

Sokka came back carrying a large bowl of meat and rice. He had already started eating it before he sat down. "What's with Toph?" he asked with his mouth full.

"I dunno," Suki said.

Sokka shrugged in indifference and kept cramming his face. The others went up to get food one by one and they ate mostly in silence.

"What took you so long?" Ty Lee asked as Zuko sat back down – he had been the last one to go up.

"I asked the guy behind the bar what he could tell us about Jun and saw that creepy bus boy glaring at me from the other side of the room. It was like he knew what I was asking about or something..."

"Hm?" Sokka asked, lifting his head. He'd finished eating and had just about fallen asleep with his head on the table, despite the noise in the background. "What's with the creepy bus boy?"

"When you went up to get food, the bus boy came over to tell Ty Lee to get Momo outside. Before he could go, Zuko asked him if he knew anything about Jun and he gave us this look... and he wouldn't answer the questions and just said he didn't help stalkers. He walked off first opportunity he got," Suki explained.

"He was creepy," Ty Lee put emphasized.

"Toph, are you sure you're ok? You look a little off," Zuko said, starting to worry for her. She had become very quiet since the bus boy had appeared and hadn't loosened up at all since he'd left again. Her face was slightly pale and there was still a frown on her brow.

"Yea, I'm fine."

"You sure?"

She nodded, "I'm just gonna go step outside."

"I've got a better idea," Zuko said, finishing off his food, "let's all head back to Appa. I'll tell you what the bar tender told me."

They all agreed to that and filed out of the pub and walked off. It was already dark and strangely quiet. It was one of those nights when people would subconsciously glance over their shoulders to make sure they weren't being watched and double check to make sure all of the doors and windows to their houses were shut and locked properly. And as the group of five reached Appa, they could have sworn that someone was following them.

"Let's start flying already. We'll rest some place else," Sokka said, trying not to appear frightened. But in all honesty, nobody was about to disagree with his ideas to leave. There was an eerie presence in the night and none of them liked it.

As they ascended, the feeling of being watched faded, but did not disappear completely. But each of the passengers on Appa's back told themselves that nothing could keep up with Appa while he was flying.

Much to Ty Lee's relief, Momo had found his way back to the Bison and she cuddled him gently, sighing in relief and stroking his fur. He chattered a little uncomfortable with the vigour of her petting.

"So Zuko, what did you find out?" Suki prompted as Sokka turned around on Appa's head to join in the conversation.

"She was there. He knew who I was talking about as soon as I said her name; I didn't even have to describe her – he did it for me. Tattoo on the arm, black hair, pale and flawless skin, dark eyes, giant animal thing with a freaky nose and a dangerous vibe about it..."

"Well, from the sounds of it, we're on the track of the right girl. What else did he say?" Sokka said.

"She was at the pub every night for at least a week after she turned in her last bounty. The regulars got to know her pretty well and her boyfriend started working as a bus boy there – that's the creepy one. But she disappeared off with her animal about two weeks ago and they were surprised when her boyfriend didn't go after her. But apparently she started heading east in search of a decent bounty to start tracking. From the sounds of it, her boyfriend is getting into the business with her and plans to ditch the pub as soon as she chooses her next victim."

"Well, why didn't he take us up on our offer then? I mean, we told him you were the Fire Lord – I don't think there are many people who could compete with you when it comes to giving a good reward."

"I dunno," Zuko shrugged. "He didn't seem to trust us. Maybe he didn't believe us."

"Or, maybe that Jun chick has him on a really short leash," Sokka said with a grin on his face. Nobody laughed.

"Or maybe he's really obsessive and overprotective," Zuko said. "Anyway, I'd say that our best bet is to travel east to the next village and ask around there to see if she's passed through."

"Good idea," the others chorused.

"When are we going to land for the night?" Ty Lee asked, sounding uncertain.

"Later," the boys answered in union, a little too quickly for the others not to pick up on the note of fear they held. Silence fell on them all like bricks. They rode on into the night and stopped at the next town to the east, found a stable for Appa to stay in and an inn for them. Ty Lee managed to smuggle Momo in with them unnoticed.

* * *

It wasn't until somebody knocked on the door that Shang realized that quite some time had passed and he had fallen asleep.

"Who is it?" he asked, standing up abruptly and trying to keep his voice steady.

"A messenger. Long Feng requests a meeting with you in the main chamber immediately."

"Um, yes, of course. I will be there right away," Admiral Shang replied.

He waited for the messenger to walk away before he let out a held breath. Then, he looked around the room edgily.

Then, shaking his head angrily at himself, he told himself to pull his head in. He composed himself and then stepped out of his room and followed the passages to where he knew to meet Long Feng. Much to his relief, her eerie presence faded away as he went.

* * *

Azula opened her eyes and found herself back in the Spirit world. She looked at her mother and Yue and smiled, "I saved her."

Ursa smiled and stroked her hair, "Yes, you did. Well done, darling."

* * *

The feeling of being watched had increased again by the time what was left of the gang woke up. It was midmorning and the sun was bright and up ahead of any of them.  
"We'll ask around town straight after breakfast," Sokka decided, patting his stomach

The others nodded in agreement. They headed out into the village and ate breakfast before they began their scavenge for information. They split up into two groups – a girl's group and a girl's group after Sokka and Ty Lee had an argument over which gender would be able to find more information. So Ty Lee, Suki and Toph headed off in one direction while Sokka dragged Zuko reluctantly in the other. They agreed to meet outside the inn after two hours with whatever information they had to share and then evaluate.

"Ok, the barkeeper in that creepy little shack we passed on our way into town says she was here two nights ago. She was in a bit of a brawl and absolutely kicked ass – from the descriptions of the fight, I pity the poor fool who challenged her," Sokka said solemnly.

"He also said that she was looking for a bounty to follow and continued east the next morning," Zuko added – the vital piece of information that actually mattered, unlike what Sokka had shared.

"Hey, I was getting there!" Sokka huffed.

"Sure, whatever you say, Sokka," Zuko nodded, not really paying him any attention. "What did you girl's find?"

"A guard told us that she'd asked about the bounties around the area and had taken a copy of a few wanted posters. He asked her if she planned to choose any of them but she said she doubted it because the pay was too low," Suki told them.

"We'll see what she says about the price of the task we have for her," Zuko murmured. "Anything else?"

"No. Well, actually... um, Toph?" Suki asked, frowning at the girl. Ty Lee shuffled her feet uncomfortably.

"Toph, what do you have for us?" Zuko asked, trying to keep calm. There was that frown plastered to her brow again. She was quiet. Too quiet.

"It's just..." She looked to either side of her at Suki and Ty lee. "I – I thought I saw that creepy bus boy from the pub at the other town while we were walking around."

Zuko frowned deeply, not liking that one bit. The others all watched his face to see his reaction.

"Toph, are you absolutely sure you saw him?" Zuko asked in a low voice.

Toph shook her head, "I don't know – the vibrations I get from him are... different."

"Different?" the other four repeated in sync.

"Yea..."

"What makes them different?" Suki asked.

"Well..." Toph rubbed the back of her neck. "Guys, this is going to sound absolutely crazy, but he doesn't appear to have a heartbeat."

They were goggling at her. She didn't have to see them properly to be able to figure that out.

"Look, I'm probably misreading him or something. I mean, a man without a heartbeat is dead, and the creepy bus boy moves and talks and breathes, so he's definitely alive... right?"

It took the others a moment to respond.

"... Yes, right! I mean, it's impossible for him not to have a heartbeat," Zuko said.

"Exactly!"

"Yea!"

"Of course!"

"Sorry for worrying you guys. I think I might be losing my touch or something," Toph apologized.

The others told her not to worry and they continued east to the next town after lunch. The locals there told them that she had passed through without stopping and so they flew east one more time.

"Alright, dinner before we do anything else!" Sokka called.

The others didn't mind taking a break and sitting down on something that wasn't flying. They headed into the nearest tavern and sat down to eat. Just as they were finishing, Toph's eyes went wide.

"Guys..." she whispered. They all snapped their heads in her direction. "He's here!" she whisper-yelled.

"Who?" Sokka asked.

"The creepy bus boy," Toph hissed, cocking her head to the side.

As discreetly as they could, they peered round to where she had indicated. Sure enough, he was at the other side of the tavern, seemingly paying no attention to them. But none of them doubted for a second that he was watching them out of the corner of his eye. They knew it was no coincidence that he was there – he'd followed them. But how?

"Ok, I'm officially freaked out," Sokka announced, drawing the attention to him. "All in favour of skipping this place _now_, say aye."

"Aye."

"Aye!"

"Aye."

"Aye."

Without another word, they all pushed back their seats from the table and shuffled silently outside, panic rising in their throats. They started heading towards Appa, who they had left on the edge of the town and Momo chattered quietly as he flew to Ty Lee's shoulder.

Just before they could enter the trees, Sokka stopped dead in his tracks.

"Sokka, come _on!_" Suki hissed.

"Guys, look!" he said, letting his voice shoot up to a normal volume which caused the others to flinch. But as he said it, he pointed around towards the back of the tavern they'd just exited.

A grotesque- looking animal had its head sticking out from behind the building and was peering at them curiously as it raised its mussel into the air and sniffed cautiously. It was a predator like no other they'd seen before and by no mistake, Nyla – Jun's shirshu.

As they all turned their bodies towards her, she shied away behind the building and, forgetting about the creepy bus boy who appeared to have been following them, they quickly ran over to the back of the building.

Nyla put as much distance as she could between them hiding in an alleyway where she was cornered. They others appeared in the entrance to the alley and stopped, knowing the danger they could bring upon themselves if they got much closer.

"Hey there, remember us?" Sokka asked playfully. "Where's Jun?"

Of course the beast didn't answer and instead, Sokka took a daring step into the alley, mustering up all of his confidence. Then he took another step... and another... and –

"Sokka! Stop! Don't get so close!" Suki warned in a panicked voice.

"Relax," he waved her off. "I have a way with animals."

"Sokka!" All four of his companions jumped at him and grabbed him by the arms as Nyla growled at him for coming so close to her. They began to drag him back out of the alley and he protested loudly.

"You've been stalking the wrong woman," a rough voice said from the entrance of the alley. Zuko, Sokka, Suki, Toph and Ty Lee shot their heads around to look at who had spoken, but to everybody but Toph, he was a black silhouette.

"You again!" Toph cried.

The next thing they knew, they were on the ground, completely limp.

* * *

**Dun! Dun! Dun! xD I bet everyone reading this story knows who that was – those of you who already know his name, do not spoil it for the others! They're probably checking my reviews for spoilers... lol. So say no names! (doctor Anthony and Thunder, that includes you guys!). **

**Alright, so tell me how you all liked that in a review. Remember, I need five (5) reviews or no updates! Thank you for reading. Hope you liked it ^_^ now REVIEW!!!**

**Btw, JOIN TEAM ZUTARA!!!**


	17. Bribery

**Woo, I got seven reviews! Sweet! XD Love all of you guys :) Even if more than half of you are anonymous reviewers... and the way you talk makes it out like you're all actually the same person... or maybe you're all from the same place or something...ah well.**

**Thanks so much for the reviews guys! :) And remember, I need five (5) before I can update. Sorry that this is up so late – my holidays are coming to an end and I'm about to go back to school and have been doing a lot of prepping(on top of that, I woulda had this up last night or earlier this night, but fanfic kept saying I couldn't upload it... grrr). So I'm no longer gonna be able to update as often as I'd like to :( Yes, I agree that that sucks royally, but that's the way it's gotta be... if it weren't for the fact that going to school means waking up early, I'd just stay up later to write, but unfortunately... yea.**

**In other news! For this chapter, I'd like to welcome a guest OC whom I borrowed from doctor Anthony. :D Go check out some of his stories and get to know Kalo properly. Thank you doc for letting me borrow him ;D**

**Anyway! Here's chapter 17. Read, review and enjoy, and I'll have the next one up as soon as I can :D**

**

* * *

17. Bribery**

As the silhouette approached, the details of the man's face came into view. If it weren't for the fact that they were all paralysed, Sokka would have started trying to pick a fight and Toph would have announced to the others who he was before he was close enough for them to see.

The creepy bus boy from the pub loomed over them, "I don't much like it when people go around stalking my girlfriend," he hissed with a smirk. "You bunch of freaks are no exception."

Sokka would have made some sort of smart retort, but it seemed Nyla had even paralysed their tongues.

_What are you gonna do then, huh?_ Zuko thought, attempting to frown. And failing. Stupid paralysation.

His footsteps were light. Lighter than they should have been and everyone lying on the floor knew it. In her head, Toph was absolutely freaking out. She still could not detect a heartbeat. Why? What was wrong with him? He should have been dead! So why was he still walking when he had no heartbeat?

"I wonder what kind of vicious monsters I could feed you to..." he wondered out loud. Out of the corner of her eye, Suki could see him stroking his chin. She tried not to look at him – he was frightening. So she kept her eyes on Sokka, directly in her line of vision, who was staring right back at her.

Ty Lee shivered, although she didn't feel it. His rough voice was enough to chill anybody's blood.

_What do you want from us?_ Zuko thought bitterly. _For Spirits' Sake, let us go! Stop wasting our time – I need to find my wife damn it!_

"What's going on here?" a woman's voice asked. Zuko was suddenly filled with excitement at the familiarity of it. That absolutely had to be Jun.

"Nothing, my love. These freaks were trying to track you down is all," he said. Suki saw him roll his head on his neck and they all heard several loud cracks.

Jun's footsteps were that of somebody normal – they were heavy, as if there was actually some weight above them. Unlike the creepy bus boy. It brought a little bit of comfort to Toph. But that didn't put her mind to rest.

Jun stooped over each of them and examined their faces. A smirk crept upon her lips when she recognized Zuko.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Angry Boy! And where might Uncle Lazy be?" she chuckled, rolling him onto his back by pushing him over with her foot. She looked around at the others and then her eyes stopped on Sokka. "Did you and your girlfriend make nice, Angry Boy. I didn't think you were on speaking terms with her brother when we met."

"You know these freaks?" the bus boy asked, wrinkling his nose.

"Just the boys," she intoned. "And setting Nyla onto them wasn't necessary, Kalo."

The bus boy – Kalo – shrugged, "I just didn't want you getting hurt. You know I don't like it when people stalk you."

She chuckled, nearly seductively, "Honey, I'm a bounty hunter. Nobody stalks me – I stalk them. They were just _looking_ for me," she sighed. Then, turning back to Zuko, she continued, "I bet that it was Angry Boy's idea and he needs my help with finding his dear, precious girlfriend again."

_The funny thing is, _Zuko thought to himself, _last time she said it, she was way off in the wrong direction. This time, she's way off from the other direction._

Jun sighed dramatically, "But I guess I'll have to take you _all_" – She even looked at Kalo when she said it – "back to where I'm staying for the night."

Taking orders from Jun, Kalo grudgingly helped her carry them inside. The small apartment that Jun was staying in was just around the corner from where they were in the alley and Kalo was able to carry Zuko, Sokka, Suki and Ty Lee simply by slinging them over his shoulders. Jun carried Toph and called Kalo a show off. He just grinned at her.

The four paralysed suckers were sat upright on the couch, squished up shoulder to shoulder. After an hour or two of conversation between Jun and Kalo about this and that, they started to get feeling in their bodies again. Kalo came and stood in front of them.

"Are you a zombie?" Toph asked, her face completely serious.

He raised an eyebrow at her and they all heard Jun cackle behind them. Then she came and stood next to him. The four on the couch slowly and stiffly moved around into more comfortable positions.

"No, I'm not a zombie," he murmured, looking at her with interest. "Why do you ask?"

"Because you don't have a heartbeat," Toph said, shrugging.

Kalo raised an eyebrow at her, "How could you tell? Who are you?"

"Finish answering my questions first. If you're not a zombie, but you don't have a heartbeat, then what are you?"

There was a heavy silence that loomed over all seven in the room as Kalo looked into Toph's eyes. She stared blindly and silently back, determined to get an answer, however unnerving he was.

"I'm a vampire," Kalo said. His eyes remained locked on Toph's for a moment longer. "How did you know I didn't have a heartbeat?"

"I'm blind. But I see through vibrations. I can't hear the vibration of your heartbeat, so I have to rely on the vibrations around you to be able to see you at all. I can only see _you_ as well as I see everyone else when you're speaking, because of the vibrations in your voice. I can only see you as well as I can see Twinkletoes when you've got your feet on the ground."

"Twinkletoes...?" he repeated, raising an eyebrow at her. A smirk appeared on his lips at the thought of the name.

"Alright, enough chit-chat," Jun interrupted. Then, she turned her eyes on Zuko. "So, Angry Boy, why were you and your friends stalking me?" she asked, seemingly bored as she played with her nails. Her lips held a smirk.

"I need your help with finding someone. Actually, we'll be looking for the same two people you helped me look for last time – the Water Tribe girl, Katara, who is now actually my wife –" At that, Sokka snorted in disapproval. "–and the Avatar."

The bounty hunter's eyes became very keen. "Oh?"

"As you've probably heard, I am the Fire Lord at the present time." He smirked, knowing he'd already won. "Can you imagine the reward you would get if you helped me?"

"Hmm..." she sighed, tapping her chin with an over-dramatically thoughtful look on her face and a huge grin spreading across her lips. "Yes, I think I could."

"Name your price."

Ty Lee interrupted, "Um, might I point out that WE ARE ALSO LOOKING FOR MAI! There are _three_ people she needs to help us find, Zuko," she grumped.

The Fire Lord rolled his eyes, "Ty Lee, understand this – Katara and Mai were captured together. Chances are, we'll find them together. Aang was captured at a different time to them, although by the same people... or so we're assuming. Anyway, chances are, he'll be somewhere near by the girls. If we find one of them, chances are that we will find all of them. The only reason I keep forgetting to mention Mai is because she's not important to –"

"Now hold on just a minute!" Ty Lee screamed, standing up so quickly that she made everyone else jump – Kalo even made his way to stand between her and Jun and he glared icily at her. "Tell me exactly _how_ Mai is less important than Katara?! I mean, alright, I can understand why she's less important than Aang – he is the Avatar, master of all four elements and the fucking messiah of the world! But _how_ is Mai _less_ important than Katara, exactly?!"

Zuko, Sokka, Suki, Jun and Kalo all blinked dumbly at her. Toph blinked blindly into the distance in front of her, not needing to turn her head to 'look' at the girl. Though, after a few moments of stunned silence at Ty Lee's violent outburst, her head did slowly rotate around in disbelief, though her mouth, hanging open like everyone else's, held a huge grin, _unlike_ everyone else's. And if anyone had looked at her, it would have been all too obvious that she was trying not to laugh or make some sort of smart-arse comment.

Zuko's jaw snapped shut abruptly, "Because," he explained coolly, "Katara is my _wife_. And Last time I checked, Mai may as well have been handing us the freaking divorce papers the same night we had gotten married. I am sorry, Ty Lee, but if you ask me – and I'm sure that Sokka and Suki would agree – Mai is nothing but a dirty, good for nothing, troublemaking whore."

Nobody spoke for a few minutes and Zuko just glared up at Ty Lee, standing in front of him. Her eyes went dim of their usual light and her shoulders slumped. Anybody could have sworn that she looked ready to cry.

"I thought you didn't think it was her fault because neither of you could remember anything about that night," Ty Lee stated, blankly.

"Yea, I didn't. But that kinda changed when she started kissing me as soon as she heard Katara coming, just a little while before they disappeared," he replied coldly.

A frown furrowed the acrobat's brow and she hung her head to stare at her feet and she stepped around to lean against the far side of the couch with her back to the others. A few moments later she headed for the door with a tear-choked little, "Excuse me," before she disappeared.

His face had been set in stone as he had spoken to and looked at Ty Lee, but as she left, her heart clearly broken, Zuko's face softened and he emitted a tired sigh and shook his head gently, running his fingers through his hair.

"Um... I'm guessing there is a bit of a background story to this search and rescue mission than you'll be happy to talk about?" It was more of a question than a statement, and Zuko nodded glumly. "Alright then... well, I'll help you," Jun said with a half smile. "But you owe me for it. We'll figure out the price at the end and it'll depend on how long it takes and how dangerous it ends up being – if this _Katara_ chick is your wife, that means she's the Fire Lady, right?" Zuko nodded again, looking her in the eyes. "So, I'm guessing the average bum wouldn't kidnap her. Or the Avatar. So this sounds like a pretty serious matter. Do you know who the crooks that did it are?"

"Yes – we know for a fact that a man by the name of Shang is behind it," Zuko replied. His hand dug into his pocket and he searched for the crinkled pieces of paper. He extracted the two near-identical notes and handed them over to Jun. "If he wrote them, it'll have his sent on him for Nyla to follow. And if he didn't, then she can find whoever did write it and hopefully they'll have something that will help us find him."

Jun smirked as she read over the notes, "This is gonna be big pay."

"I know..." Zuko muttered. "So you'll do it?"

Jun put her arms by her side, keeping the notes in her hand. "Of course." She extended a hand for him to shake, "I'd be honoured to be of service to the Fire Lord." She did not bow or lower her head or take her eyes away from his, and that was enough to tell Zuko that it was only because he had money and that was exactly what she wanted.

He shook her hand nonetheless, "Good."

She took her hand from his and headed towards the door.

"Are you coming or what?" she said over her shoulder.

"Wait, where are you going?" Kalo asked, suddenly alert again.

"Wherever this sent leads Nyla," she cooed, kicking the door open and drifting outside.

Kalo shot Zuko and evil glare and followed his girlfriend outside.

"Angry Boy, if you and your friends don't hurry up, we're leaving without you!" Jun called back to them.

Taking one deep breath, Zuko followed, the others right behind him.

Sokka leaned over to Toph and Suki and whispered, "I'm sorry, but did the creepy bus boy say he was a_ vampire?_"

"Yup," Toph nodded.

Goggling, Sokka glanced nervously at him, "Is he serious?!" The girls could hear the notes of panic right through his voice.

"Well, seeing as he hasn't tried to eat our brains yet, I'm _assuming_ he isn't a zombie," Toph said.

"But can't you tell if he's lying or not?" Sokka pushed.

"No, I can't!" she hissed. "Sokka, he has no heartbeat – I need to hear a heartbeat to be able to tell if someone is lying or not... I guess I'm gonna have to start concentrating on the giveaways in his voice ... but then again, maybe he's good enough to fool me with his voice too... I dunno."

Sokka gulped at the dry lump in his throat. Suki patted his back, "There, there, I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. If he's with Jun and Jun is helping us, I'm sure we can trust him. Anyway, Zuko seems to be going with it fine," she shrugged, an encouraging smile flashing his way.

"Yea, but that's Zuko –_ I _don't trust Zuko. Why should I trust the people _he _trusts?" Sokka asked.

Shrugging, Suki gave up, "Just go with it for now, ok?"

"Fine, but if he starts chewing on our necks and drinking our blood, nobody can blame me!" he huffed.

Once everyone was on Nyla's back, Jun let her sniff the notes and the shirshu lifted her snout to the wind and began snuffling loudly. There were several scents on the pieces of paper and she searched for one that was not on her back or familiar (a.k.a. Uncle Iroh's) and once she found it, she was off. All her passengers could do was hold on tight.

* * *

Shang had kept clear of the two girls he was holding prisoner with Long Feng as often as possible. Whenever he was near them, _she_ was there. He couldn't see her – nobody could see her. But he could feel her. Nobody else could, but she was _there!_

If he thought of using Mai for his own pleasures like he had originally planned, the sense of her presence would become insanely intense. He could virtually hear her voice inside his head. It was _maddening._

"Leave me alone..." he hissed at the air as he clutched his head. "I'm sorry, please... just go..." But she would not go. No matter how much he wished her away, she always came back whenever his thoughts or actions had anything to do with the two girls that were imprisoned in the undergrounds.

Whenever he was alone in his room and he could feel her there, he would lock the door and sink into a heap on the ground, afraid. Terrified. Miserable. Longing. Yes, he still longed for her.

"I'm sorry... I just wanted to make you happy!" he shouted for her to hear him. "I just wanted to prove that I loved you!" He would throw his fist against the stone walls as hard as he could, trying to get her out of his head. But she would not leave him unless she wanted to. She stayed. She taunted him. She taunted him every chance she got, or so it seemed to him anyway. It was almost as if she was bribing him not to touch her friends. No, not bribing – that was the wrong term entirely. She was threatening him. He was sure of it. He was positive that if he touched them, she would whisk the last of his sanity away in a flash and he'd have no choice but to endure her presence at all times.

Sometimes, she came to him in his sleep. He would twist and writhe and _cry_ and _scream_ in his nightmares, because of the pain it would cause him to see her. And it hurt so much when she called his name the way she did in his sleep.

"Shang," she called in a sing-song voice. "Shang, you killed me. You hurt me. Shang, do you remember? I'm dead now, do you see me? Do you see me? Look at me. Shang, look at me. _Look at me!_"

"I'm looking!" he would shout back, collapsing at the knees and falling to the floor at her feet. His whole body would shake with sobs. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! I'm sorry! Forgive me!"

"_Look at me!_"

And he would look at her. Her eyes would bore into his as she glared and although she wouldn't continue speaking, in his head, he could hear her screaming as she had whenever he'd raped and beaten her. And as her voice in his head got louder and louder, he'd cover his ears and beg her to stop – to just go away and leave him alone.

"Please, I'm so sorry... just get out of my head... please..."

And she would stop staring at him. Her eyes would become lifeless. The whole in her abdomen from where her father had stabbed her would widen and she would start bleeding. She would collapse before him and, startled, he would reach out and catch her in his arms.

"Azula?! No, don't die! Please, I'm sorry I hurt you – I didn't mean it!" he would shout. But it didn't stop the lights from leaving her eyes. Then, she would fade away and his arms would be left holding nothing and he would wake up, covered in a cold sweat and panting. His throat would hurt and after the first few times of this happening, he figured out that he actually must yell out in his dreams. He hoped no one ever heard him and that the fact that he was slowly going insane was not discovered.

_Please,_ he thought as he lay there that night, _just go away... Azula, I'm so sorry..._

* * *

**Ba-pa-da-da! And there you have chapter 17. :) I hope you all liked it and I'll get the 18****th**** chapter up as soon as possible and I do apologize for the fact that it will be a longer wait than any of us really want it to be :( **

**On the bright side, I'm not giving up :D **

**Ok, remember five (5) reviews, or no update. So go and review and tell me what you thought :) Again, thank you to doctor Anthony for letting me borrow his OC Kalo – go and read his stories. **

**And of course, JOIN TEAM ZUTARA!!!**


	18. Talk About Deep

**VERY IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE! PLEASE READ!**

**Hey howdy hey folks. And welcome to another chapter of Beneath the Earth. **

**Due to some... complications, this may be the last chapter I post before disabling anonymous reviewers. :S I'm scared – you guys make up the majority of the reviews for this story... which is actually quite sad. GUYS, GET FRIGGING ACCOUNTS!!!! Please? :D I won't disable it till next chapter goes up unless the complications get really out of control. Hopefully they won't. And hopefully my wonderful anonymous reviewers will be able to continue reviewing by making accounts (hint hint!!!).**

**I'M SO, SO, SO, SO, SO SORRY GUYS!!! D: **

**Alright, in slightly brighter news, schools going good :) Not really, I've been put into an all girls homegroup and it stinks of powdery, soapy flowers. Really not my thing and it's starting to give me a headache... oh, and I think I'm failing math already :P Not that I care – but my mum sure does! :S**

**Well, the good news is that I finally got this chapter up. :D **

**Remember, 5 reviews or no update. ;) **

**Enjoy...**

* * *

**18. Talk About Deep**

After a few days, it wasn't like Mai hadn't noticed Katara over in the corner, gagging and looking ready to vomit during the mornings. She was also having those sort of moments during and after they had eaten – though she thought that was fair enough, seeing as they were being served cold slops. And although she seemed to be having a hard time with eating what they were being given, she seemed to me more hungry than usual. But she was also having a hard time sleeping, Mai had noticed. Constantly waking up and needing the bathroom a little more often than should have been normal.

She was in the corner again just then, apparently trying to keep down the slops they'd been given for lunch. And it was only a moment ago as she had tried to get up and slip over there without drawing attention from Mai, had Mai noticed the dead giveaway that put all of the pieces of the puzzle together. It made Katara's strange patterns make perfect sense.

The giveaway was the bulge in her belly, which Mai had somehow been missing. And Mai knew straight away – Katara was pregnant.

A feeling of numbness coursed through her body. She and Katara had hardly spoken a word the whole time they'd been trapped there. Their longest conversation that hadn't consisted of a short-lived catfight was when Mai had returned from nearly being raped by Shang. And that conversation was also very short-lived.

But this was _not_ something Mai had been expecting.

_A few days ago, I was being such a bitch to her and basically trying to break her up with her husband... and I pretty much succeeded in that. But ... how could I do that? She's pregnant... if I'd known... oh Spirits above! What have I done?!_

A few minutes later, Katara had decided that her lunch was staying down and came back to sit around and do nothing as she and Mai had been doing for who knew how long.

Mai was too speechless to say anything for the moment and all she could do was try not to stare and keep a straight face...

* * *

"So, do you know where she is?" Sokka asked. After a little while, Suki had come up with the idea of calling Appa so that Nyla wouldn't have to carry everyone and Sokka summoned the bison with the whistle he'd found in the stable Appa had been staying in at the palace. So by that point in their journey, Jun, Kalo, Sokka and Suki were riding on Nyla's back, and Zuko, Ty Lee, Toph and Momo were on Appa's back, and the bison was flying lowly over the land – low enough so that if Zuko needed to say something to Jun or Sokka, or vice versa, they could do so with ease, just by shouting out to each other.

But there was not so much communication needed between the passengers of the two different animals and most of the ride was silent during that night and the hours of the morning that followed.

"No," Jun repeated for what felt like the millionth time to the irritating Water Tribe boy. She tried to keep her agitation out of her voice. "Nyla can smell her though and will take us to her – I can't read her mind."

Sokka sighed and Suki shook her head, wishing he'd just learn some patience and not repeat that question every half hour. Kalo resisted the urge to glare back at the boy and gently stroked Jun's arms as they rode on.

Toph was asleep in the saddle before sunrise, and that left Zuko and Ty Lee virtually alone up there – if you didn't count Momo, snoozing in Ty Lee's lap as she stroked him.

Ty Lee was lost, off in her own little world. The frown that had creased her soft brow so severely the night before when she had left the little apartment after her little dispute with Zuko had not left her face and her eyes were unnaturally dark, their normal spark of light and joy gone. She stroked the lemur in her lap gently, smoothing his fur along his back. Momo was basically purring, but she seemed so frustrated, so hardened – so _hurt._

It wasn't as if Zuko hadn't noticed either. When he'd watched her leave the room the night before, he could tell that what he'd said had hurt her. A lot. She had taken it to heart and it was cutting her up. Zuko couldn't tell for sure exactly why, but he knew anyway. And it was beginning to trouble him.

Ty Lee was the spark of light – the smile when everyone else frowned, the beam of hope when everyone else had given up, the cheerer upper-er when everyone else was down. She was the optimist when everybody else was sceptical. Who she was created and kept balance in the group when it needed it most.

And considering the situation they were in at that point in time, they needed her to be like that. And she wasn't. And it was driving Zuko _up. The. Wall. _

"Ty Lee?" he sighed at last, no longer able to stand the brooding silence of her troubled mind. "Are you alright?"

Her eyes lifted to meet his and the frown almost disappeared for a split second. But then it came right back and Zuko felt his stomach twist uncomfortably because of the dark look he was met with.

"I'm fine," she grumbled. She dropped her eyes back to Momo, still asleep in her lap. For a few moments, they stayed silent, and then Zuko spoke again.

"No, you're not. If you were, you would be acting normal. And you're not acting normal."

"How am I not acting normal?" she demanded, offence making its mark in her voice.

Zuko smirked and answered coolly, "You are being _silent_. Something is very wrong, because on a normal day, you don't _shut up_," he said, matter-of-factly.

The faintest hint of a smile twitched at the right corner of her lip, but it disappeared just as quickly as it had found its way there.

Sighing again, tiredly, Zuko pushed himself around the saddle until he was sitting next to her and then he slung an arm around her in a gesture of friendship.

"Ty Lee, listen, I know you don't like what I said last night about Mai. It was pretty cruel. And even though it was true, I shouldn't have been so insensitive towards how you might feel about hearing it like that from me. So... I'm really sorry that I upset you."

Zuko was not one who made apologies lightly – he did not like to admit that he had done something wrong and he wasn't fond of admitting just how much he really cared about the feelings of the people around him. Therefore, whenever Zuko apologized about something, it meant that he had thought it over deeply and decided he just couldn't live with the guilt.

Seeing Ty Lee sad and broody was like seeing Katara angry, or seeing Mai constantly and hyperactively excited about something or seeing Toph act like a girl – it was a _very unnerving sight_. And after awhile, it could become quite unbearable and made Zuko feel as if he needed to correct whatever had gone wrong to make it so.

So there he was, apologizing to Ty Lee.

For a few moments, Ty Lee said nothing. Then, her head drooping and her bottom lip quivering, she whispered, "I just can't believe Mai would do something like that..." And at last, the tears that she had been holding in since last night burst forward and her whole body shook with sobs. The acrobatic woman buried her face in the soft, furry body that was asleep in her lap, rousing Momo from his slumber and causing him to chatter and flail his little limbs about in panic as he tried to escape the wetness of her tears. But it was pretty useless.

Zuko managed to pry her grasp from the lemur and Momo glided off to sit on Appa's head, where he hoped he'd be safe. The Fire Lord pulled Ty Lee into his arms and hugged her, patting her awkwardly on the back and whispering, "There, there," into her ear. One thing that everyone knows about Zuko is that he is not so great with handling distressed girls and he absolutely hates it when they cry. So having Ty Lee sobbing into his shoulder wasn't exactly the ideal situation for him to put himself in.

But it was worth it.

After a few minutes of her crying, Ty Lee pulled herself together and smiled at Zuko.

"I'm sorry, I just find it so sad that Mai had sunk so low that she would try and do something like that. I mean, you and Katara are only just married, and she's already tried to interfere and break you guys up!"

"I know," he nodded, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

"And... it's just... _hard_," she stressed, clenching her fists. "She's my best friend, Zuko. I love her no matter what. But... I just don't want to believe that she'd do something like that. I mean, I know you're not lying – I know you're telling the truth about what happened. But..." She shook her head, lost for words. Then, she pressed the palms of her hands against her face and attempted to stop the flow of her tears.

"I understand what you mean," Zuko murmured. "She's your best friend and no matter what she does, you'll always love her. It's hard to accept it when you hear someone else saying something horrible about her because of what she's done – trust me, I know the feeling."

Ty Lee frowned at him, "How would _you_ know the feeling?"

Zuko looked at her seriously, as if she'd just asked the dumbest question ever. "My Father," he reminded her gently. "And Azula."

Her expression softened immediately and she nodded, "Sorry... it sorta just slipped my mind."

"It's ok," he shrugged. "It happens."

Ty Lee sighed and leaned into Zuko, his arm still around her. "I'm sorry for acting funny all this time. I'll try to accept it a bit better from now on."

"I'll try to remember to be a little more sensitive about how you feel," he chuckled, hugging her softly.

After a little while, Ty Lee drifted off to sleep, her mind much more at ease now that she'd talked to someone about how she was feeling. Zuko drifted off after her and Momo joined them again, sitting on Ty Lee's lap.

* * *

That was it. Mai needed to talk to her about it. It was driving her insane! She had to say something. And for the past few hours, she'd been trying to think of how to start the conversation. She had made several attempts, all which had failed – she'd casually asked some very non-personal questions, but the conversation had died out very quickly.

So, creating a lead-up conversation wasn't working.

With a sigh, Mai decided one thing was for sure – if she was going to do this, she'd have to say it straight out.

As awkward as it was, she sucked in a breath and looked at Katara.

"So... you're pregnant." She said it as casually as she could.

Katara's eyes flittered up to meet hers and she stared at her for a moment before nodding, "Yea."

Mai nodded, slightly relieved that she had finally gotten that fact out in the open.

"And it's Zuko's?" she enquired.

"Yes," the waterbender replied stiffly. Her eyes went very cold very quickly and her voice gave away the fact that the question had offended her. "Who else's would it be?"

Mai struggled for words, opening her mouth without being able to form sound to emit.

"No one else's... just... I dunno..." she shook her head, feeling very stupid. Then, with a sigh, she pressed on in her bored voice. "How long?"

Katara pressed a hand to her abdomen and looked thoughtfully to the ceiling of the cave.

"A few months now... three? Maybe four now?" A smile was tugging at the corner of her lips. But if faded away pretty quickly. "I was really happy when I found out. Suki is pregnant too – the news was our wedding presents to Sokka and Zuko." She sighed heavily, "I guess I'm not as happy about it now as I was then." Her words were cold and bitter and Mai felt that sting of guilt penetrate her heart.

She tried to sound oblivious, "Why's that?"

Katara's eyes pierced hers, "Why do you think?" she hissed in a low whisper.

Mai frowned sadly to herself and looked at the ground. "I'm sorry."

"No you're not!" Katara shouted, standing up. Her harsh voice echoed throughout the cave. "You're not sorry – you wanted Zuko for yourself so you went out of your way to get him."

"But in that I failed. I am apologizing for trying," she said, looking at the feet of the girl standing in front of her. "If I had known you were pregnant, I probably wouldn't have tried at all. The only reason I tried at all was because you were leaving anyway, otherwise I would have lived with it."

"What are you talking about? I wasn't planning on leaving the night I married Zuko, but you went and slept with him anyway."

"We didn't sleep together on purpose on the wedding day," Mai insisted, arching up and looking the girl in the eye. "Katara, I swear on my life that neither of us did that on purpose. We were set up – I'm sure of it. The last thing either of us can remember before waking up like that is blacking out. Someone put us there on purpose – it was all staged!"

"You ruined everything!" Katara cried, tears of fury streaming down her face. "Zuko and I were going to live happily ever after..." she sobbed, dropping to her knees. "We were going to have a baby together..." She placed a hand on her belly again. "We were going to be happy."

"I'm sorry, Katara," Mai whispered, tears of her own starting to trail their way down her face. "I'm so sorry..."

Katara shook her head, "I didn't want to cry again... finding you two together like that just hurt _so _much... all I wanted was to get away from it all..."

"We didn't mean to hurt you, Katara," Mai said. "The only time that I actually tried to break you guys up was the next day when you came walking into the gardens – I started kissing him as soon as I heard you. And he _did_ try to get me off of him. And he and Toph were so angry with me afterwards, because I'd really done it – I'd crossed the line. And you were definitely leaving." Mai shook her head. "It was so selfish and stupid of me. What I wanted was to get you out of the way so that I could have Zuko for myself, but what I'd done could never have made him mine..." she chuckled bitterly to herself. "It's like Toph said: he'll never be mine. All I did was make him hate me and make him eternally unhappy by making you leave."

Katara's fists were clenched so tightly that her hands were numb. The only thing that made her unclench them was when she noticed that her nails had dug into her skin and she had begun bleeding. With a sigh, she relaxed her hands and blinked away the angry tears which blurred her vision.

Mai was sobbing. She looked so angry at herself, for a number of reasons. One being that she had been so horrible in her intentions towards Zuko and Katara, and two being that she had become such an emotional wreck over the whole thing.

With a sigh, Katara understood, though quite indignantly, that Mai really was sorry.

"I'm sorry, Katara..." she sobbed. "I'm so sorry..."

Her heart softened, "Mai..." Pushing aside the resent she felt towards the girl for everything, she pulled the girl into a hug and rubbed her back. "It's ok... I... I forgive you."

Katara couldn't quite believe she was saying it. She couldn't quite believe she was _meaning_ it. But it was true – despite everything, Mai really was sorry, and Katara really was forgiving her now that Mai had seen and understood the extent of the damage she'd caused and shown how remorseful she was.

"Zuko still loves you," Mai said after she had pulled herself together. "He is really upset that you were going to leave."

Katara nodded silently, "He begged me not to go when I was packing."

Mai nodded, "When he comes to get us out of here, let him know you still love him." Mai looked the Fire Lady in the eyes. "Because I know you do."

Katara slowly smiled, "I will." Then, "Thank you, Mai."

The girl shook her head, "Don't thank me – all I did was make a big mess even bigger."

"No, I mean... thank you for waiting until I was ready to forgive you."

Mai smiled very uncharacteristically, but Katara smiled back nonetheless.

"We friends again?" Mai asked.

Katara nodded, "Definitely."

* * *

**Naw, so what did you all think of that? Sorry that it was a little bit fluffy – it had to be done. Anywayz, I liked it – tell me what you all thought of it in your wonderful reviews :) (hint hint). **

**And a reminder to my anonymous reviewers – make accounts so that you can continue reviewing after I disable anonymous reviewers. And I need five (5) reviews before I can update. I disable anonymous reviewer when I post the next chapter :( **

**And everyone go and check out my little one-shot "To Lose the Earth" – dedicated to the Haiti earthquake victims. **

**By the way, JOIN TEAM ZUTARA!**


	19. What Have I Done?

**Deepest apologies to the anonymous reviewers :( I'll miss you. **

**And guys! I'm so sorry that it took me so long to update! I've been so swamped with homework and I really wanna do well this year :( You'll have to forgive me, for I get the feeling that we'll have bigger gaps between the updates like this :P Oh, and I totally actually just ditched my math homework for this . I needed a break...**

**But on a brighter note, here's the next chapter. **

**Anyway, read, review and enjoy – and those of you who haven't already, go and check out "The Wings of a Phoenix", which I posted shortly after last chapter. **

* * *

**19. What Have I Done?**

Within forty eight hours, Nyla came to a stop outside the walls of Ba Sing Se, the only thing preventing her from scaling the wall and jumping over was Jun pulling against her reigns for her to stop. Reluctantly, she skidded to a halt and then lifted her snout to the air and started indicating forward, through the wall, just to make sure her master knew that the one she was tracking lay beyond.

A guard on the outside of the wall looked at the beast disapprovingly as Jun and Kalo slipped down from her back and approached him.

"What is that _thing?_" he asked.

"Nyla is a shirshu," Jun answered in a bored tone. "And I'm a hunter. If you'll be so kind as to open the gate – we need to enter the city." She played with her nails as she spoke and only looked up when he didn't answer immediately.

"I can't let you into the city with that thing," he said quite simply.

Smirking, Jun walked up to him, "You can and you will. Open the gate."

"I'm sorry, bu–"

Jun grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and threw him against the wall. "Open it," she hissed in a poisonous tone. "My bounty lies within."

Wide eyed and clearly frightened, the man gave the order for the guards to open the gate. Kalo and Jun got back onto Nyla's back just as Appa landed behind her.

"Jun, you didn't need to do that – I could have convinced them to," Zuko said.

"Well, be a little faster next time, Princey – you snooze, you lose," she smirked, before allowing Nyla to enter the city slowly and without tearing it apart in her ravenous search for whoever's sent had been on the notes.

"I'm not a Prince anymore – I'm the Fire Lord," he said out loud, though not loud enough for her to hear him.

Then Toph shouted down to Sokka, "Hear that, Snoozle? You snooze, you lose."

Sokka turned around to glare at her and almost fell off the back of Nyla. Suki caught him when he shrieked and shook her head with a sigh as he readjusted himself on the seat.

People on the streets cleared the way and stood back and went very hush, hush as the two giant animals and their passengers came through. Many people were whispering and giving them edgy looks, clearly afraid and wondering what their presence meant.

Jun and Kalo took no notice of the stares and whispers they were causing, but the others had to remember to keep their cool, feeling very unnerved with all the strange and prying eyes on them.

Nyla sniffled impatiently as she walked about the outer circle of Ba Sing Se until the area became clear of houses and buildings on the edge of Lake Laogai. She sniffed her way up and down the bank a number of times before circling the same spot a few time and then starting to claw at the sand. Jun made her stop before she could do any damage.

"Looks like whoever it is you were looking for is under the ground now," Jun said.

Toph and Sokka jumped off Nyla and Appa and looked around.

"This is Lake Laogai," Sokka stated. "The Dai Li had a hideout under the lake the last time we were here, remember, Toph?"

She nodded.

Ty Lee, Zuko and Suki joined them on the ground.

"I remember," said Ty Lee. "Long Feng took me, Mai and Azula here when Azula was working with him."

"I remember coming to get you guys... I ended up just freeing Appa instead and letting him rescue you," Zuko said.

Jun raised an eyebrow, "So, these dudes – I'm guessing they're earthbenders. So what, they made a hideout underground?"

"Yea, pretty much. It's Old Ba Sing Se under there," Sokka explained.

Jun and Kalo slipped down from Nyla's back and stood on the lake edge with them. "Well, where Nyla is now is directly above where the sent is strongest," Jun informed them. "She's getting pretty impatient. Do you want her to dig, or does the blind girl want to earthbend?"

Toph frowned, "I've got a name."

Jun smirked, "I know. But you're not answering the question."

"Hm." Toph blew a tuft of her hair out of her face and then slammed a foot into the earth and then parted it by clapping her hands together and moving them apart slowly. A crack slowly appeared in the ground and became deeper and deeper. When Toph stopped, she jumped into it and could almost have touched the ground above if she had tried.

"I'll make a sloping tunnel down so you guys don't have too much trouble following," she decided, mainly talking to Zuko, Ty Lee, Sokka and Suki. They nodded back at her and with a sharp smash of her fist against the rock on the inside of her hole, the earth was pushed away and her tunnel was immediately formed.

* * *

Beneath where they were standing were holding cells. Windu was the only occupant for that time, curled up against a wall with his knees to his chest, wishing for himself to be dead. There was only one thing he said and he continuously whispered it to himself.

"What have I done?"

He couldn't believe half of the things he had done to help Long Feng and Admiral Shang. He had betrayed them all – his Tribe, his Chief, his friends, his family, the whole world. But worst of all, he had betrayed himself.

"What have I done?"

A tear rolled down his face as he hugged his knees. He hated what he had become – a slave to the enemy, unable to use his own free will against their orders because they just had to say the magic words, and his world fell away from him and he became their puppet. He hated those words.

"_The Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai..."_

There were so many voices he had heard saying those words. It frightened him and made him sick. And the worst part was when he saw it used on the rooms full of Ju Dee women. It was totally unnerving to hear all of the women repeating the same lines over and over again, in perfect synchronization. And it was scary.

What scared him most was that this had all been going on without anyone noticing. The world thought it was safe and that the war was over. But really, Long Feng and Admiral Shang were under Ba Sing Se, bent on world domination and creating an army of Ju Dee's.

Not only that – they had begun to add men to their rehabilitation programs and there were no longer only rooms full of women repeating the same lines like robots, but rooms full of these men too.

"What have I done?"

His head went to his knees and he hugged his legs tighter. Body shaking, he sobbed silently to himself.

"What have I done...?"

* * *

Azula smiled happily as she watched. Slowly, she was learning to be patient and just enjoy the show from her seat in the Spirit World. It was getting good, and things were just about to make a leap for the best.

"Good luck, guys."

Ursa and Yue smiled with her.

* * *

There was a loud cracking and rumbling sound for a second and the earthen walls around him and floor beneath him shook.

"What the –?!"

Everything shook for a moment again and then all went still. Windu looked around in shock and wonder, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Hello?" he called out weakly. No reply.

But just faintly, he was sure he could hear voices. And he looked up. He could hear them – they were somewhere above him.

"Hello?"

There was the rumble again, and in less than two seconds, it had gotten louder until it was deafening. Then the roof above him gave in and he shouted out in shock and threw his hands over his head for safety.

* * *

**Suspender!!! Yay, lol. Sorry it's a teensy bit short :D But eh, it's better than nothing, SO NO COMPLAINING!!! Anyway, tell me what you thought and please leave a review.**

**Now, I think I'd be pushing it a bit if I kept asking for at least 5 reviews after disabling anonymous reviewers... so I'll drop it back down to three (3), which was always my bare minimum. So guys, gimme three reviews so that I may update :D If I get more, that's brilliant. I love you all! ^_^**

**Next chapter, things start getting really, really good :D, so stay tuned!**

**ZUTARA ON!**


	20. And Then There Was Hope

**And after a very long and painful wait...**

**Ta-da! Next chapter up ^_^ Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter and sorry for the long, long wait. I'm supposed to be reading Lord of the Flies for English at the moment, but meh, I needed a break and thought of you guys ^_^ I love having you as an excuse... even if it isn't good enough in the eyes of my teachers. I hope you like it so please read and review and enjoy. Remember, three (3) review, or no update. :) **

**Off you go!**

**

* * *

  
**

**20. And Then There Was Hope **

He stayed frozen in the little ball he'd curled himself into as the dust settled around him. His heart was pounding so fast and he was having a little bit of trouble breathing. His first thought was that he was crushed to death by the earth which had haphazardly fallen from above his head, but when he could suddenly smell _fresh air..._

Windu opened his eyes and yelped out in a very unmanly fashion when they were greeted with the sight of the monstrous animal whose head was moving about above him. The beast was sniffing vigorously and as its snout came towards him, its tongue protruded from its mouth and lashed towards him.

"Heel, Nyla!" a woman's voice called, and the animal's head was pulled back sharply. The animal backed out of the hole above Windu's head, but the man didn't dare move.

As soon as the beast was gone, several people jumped down to where he was, one of which he recognized with immense joy.

"SOKKA!!!" the older Warrior cried out, basically throwing himself at the Chief's son.  
Sokka let out a shriek as Windu dragged him to the ground with the weight of his body.

Sokka lay on his back for a few moments with his eyes squeezed tightly shut, fearing the worst. But when he cracked one eye open, and then the other, and looked down on himself to see that dishevelled other Warrior, his eyebrows jumped to his hairline and he sat up.

"Windu?" he asked incredulously. "You kidnapped my sister?!"

"NO!" Windu cried. "I mean yes!" He stumbled backwards off of the younger boy and Sokka jumped on him as soon as he was free from his vice-like hug and pinned the boy to the ground on his stomach.  
"Where's my sister?!" Sokka demanded.

"Wait, please, hear me out!" Windu half begged, not really caring that the boy looked about ready to kill him but still utterly overjoyed to be seeing a familiar and (usually) friendly face.

"Give her back! Where is she?! What have you done with –?!"

"Sokka!" a smaller girl dressed in green cried. He was pretty sure it was the Avatar's earthbending master. "Get off him – you're suffocating him. He's not going to be able to help us if you kill him."

With a growl of frustration, Sokka pushed himself up again and Windu lay on the ground of the prison cell, panting.

"Where's my sister?!" Sokka demanded again.

"I don't know!" Windu said quickly, rolling onto his back and then sitting up. "She's somewhere here in the underground. She and Mai are being kept here and the Avatar is being kept here too, but in a different location."

Sokka's face was bright red with anger and frustration. "Take me to them!"

"I can't!"

"Take me –!"

"Sokka, he's in a prison cell you twit!" Zuko hissed. "Stop being a pisshead."

Glaring over his shoulder, Sokka snorted and muttered something.

Windu got cautiously to his feet, not quite keeping perfect balance and using the bars of the prison cell for support.

"I'm so glad someone's finally find us," he croaked. "I was starting to think I'd die in here..."

"Don't get your hopes up too quickly," Toph warned bluntly, folding her arms over her chest. "You're staying with us until we find the others, so there's still a chance that you'll die down here."

The corners of his mouth turned downwards and he sighed in worry. But then he toughened up and smiled again, "That sounds fair. Anyway, I'll be able to help you out with finding them."

"You better!" Sokka said, fists clenched.

"Well, if you guys can bust the prison cell open, I'll lead the way!" he said.

Toph smirked, "Stand back then."

He did as he was told. A moment later there was a loud bang and the bars of the prison cell were thrown against the opposite wall. Windu smiled and felt himself relax a little more. There was still hope.

* * *

The rumbling of the earth moving was felt and heard everywhere in the underground, but only a few people noticed something different and did not dismiss it as Dai Li activity. Mai and Katara looked up with a frown on their faces as they sat side by side in their cave-like prison. They glanced sideways at each other then looked around. The noise and vibration repeated itself a few times and then stopped.

"What do you think that was?"

Mai shrugged, "Dai Li?"

Katara shook her head, "The Dai Li are usually a lot quieter than that."

"I know..."

"You don't think...?"

Mai looked at her, her eyes a little wider than usual with a hint of excitement running through them, "Do you...?"

Katara shook her head, "We shouldn't get our hopes up."

"But what if...?"

She smiled and patted her pregnant belly, "We'll find out soon."

* * *

Long Feng and Admiral Shang took no notice of the noise as they spoke. Aang payed no attention to what they were saying – he simply didn't have the energy. But when he heard the rumble and his chains shook lightly with the vibration, he looked up for a brief moment. But raising his head took a lot of effort and he gave up and zoned out again within a matter of seconds.

* * *

Windu stumbled out of where the prison cell's boundaries had been before Toph tampered with them and led the group along with a smile on his face.

Zuko turned to Jun and Kalo who did not seem to be following. Jun looked as if she had been considering, but Kalo was holding her back.

"I couldn't ask you to come any further. We have the warrior boy to help us now. Jun, if you and Kalo head back to the Fire Nation, we can arrange your pay and get it to you as soon as I'm back there too."

A smile lit Jun's lips and she nodded, "It's been a pleasure helping you, Fire Lord Angry Boy," she bowed, slightly mockingly.

Zuko rolled his eyes and nodded, then they waved each other off and Jun and Kalo straddled Nyla again. Jun manoeuvred the beast back out of the hole and they disappeared.

Zuko turned back around to find the others all waiting for him.

"Come on, Zuko!" Ty Lee urged him impatiently.

He smiled, "Alright, let's go!"

"Random dude, lead the way," Toph instructed.

"The name's Windu, random girl,"

"The name's Toph, random dude."

* * *

**And our chapter comes to an end yet again :( Ok, I'm reeeeeeeeeeally sorry that took so long to post and I'm really sorry that it was so short! I'll try to get the next one up sooner and I really hope you like it and I hope you liked this one too. Now, I've gotta go and do my math homework or I'm gonna be eaten alive by a teacher tomorrow :D **

**See ya's all soon! I love you all, my awesome reviewers! And I need three (3) reviews before I can update. Love you all! SO REVIEW!**

**AND JOIN TEAM ZUTARA!!!!**


	21. To Crumble into Dust

**Thanks for the reviews guys :) You're all awesome. **

**So here's the next chapter. :D I hope you like it and please review. Remember, three (3) reviews or no update. **

**Enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

**21. ****To Crumble into Dust**

"Sir," a Dai Li agent said quickly as he bowed at Long Feng's feet. "Somebody had broken into the underground and the Water Tribe prisoner has escaped confinement."

Long Feng nodded, "Thank you, servant."

The man scurried off and Long Feng turned to Shang with an expressionless face. "Are you thinking it might be who I'm thinking it might be?"

There was a frown on the man's brow as he nodded.

"Secure guards around the Avatar's holding cell and the holding cell of the two girls we took."

* * *

Windu was quick on his feet. He had been up and down the corridors so many times that he knew the ones that didn't change constantly like the back of his hand. He led the towards where he knew Mai and Katara were being kept as quickly as his feet could carry him and only stopped when Toph told him that there was someone worth avoiding around the corner. They only had a couple of encounters which Toph quickly sorted out with earthbending before any serious fights could start or anyone could make too much noise or draw too much attention.

"Are we there yet?" Sokka hissed, impatiently.

"Almost, it's just around this corner," Windu assured him as they turned.

The group stopped and found themselves facing a stone wall.

"Are you kidding me? It's a dead end!" Sokka shouted.

"_Shh!_" several of his friends hissed.

"Sokka, this hideout belongs to Long Feng and the Dai Li – a lot of the prisons are caves with no proper entries or exists and require earthbending for access," Windu explained as if Sokka was a small child with no knowledge of the world.

The boy glared at him, "Just get me to my sister."

Windu looked at Toph, "Can you earthbend this?"

The girl had a huge grin on her face and, as uncharacteristic as it was, tears in her eyes.

"Toph, are you ok?" Zuko asked.

She wiped them away with her sleeve and tried to set her face, "Yes, I'm fine – I just didn't realize how much I missed Sugar Queen until just then. I can see them."

"Then hurry up and get them out!!!" Sokka shouted, throwing himself at the wall.

Everyone was smiling as he stumbled back to his feet and Toph nodded. Everyone stood behind her as she slipped into a bending stance and made the wall before them crumble...

* * *

When the wall on the far side of the cave was suddenly reduced to nothing, Mai and Katara didn't know what to expect. It was not a clean job like the Dai Li would have done, but knowing their luck, it didn't necessarily mean their visitors were friendly.

They scrambled to their feet and Mai took a step in front of Katara. Protecting her pregnant friend – the natural reaction.

But as the dust settled and the air cleared again, a smile broke over everybody's face as they all looked at each other in relief.

"Mai!" Ty Lee squealed and the two girls ran and each other and threw their arms around each other.

"Oh Ty Lee! I missed you!" the girl cried, very uncharacteristically.

"Katara!" Sokka shouted as he ran up to his little sister and hugged her. He cringed slightly at the bulge at her belly, but decided it didn't matter so much at that point. All that mattered just then to him was that his baby sister was back in his arms.

"Sokka!" the waterbender hugged him back. "Sokka, oh thank the Spirits!" Her body was shaking and Sokka couldn't quite tell if she was crying or laughing or both. He decided it was probably both, because he was too.

Toph and Suki stood and watched with smiles on their faces, patiently waiting for their turn to hug their friends... well, to hug Katara anyway.

Windu didn't step into the cave. He lingered in the background, feeling oddly out of place and pretty guilty for being part of the reason they'd been separated.

Zuko hung somewhere between where Windu stood and where the girls stood, his eyes on Katara. He couldn't take his eyes off of her and he didn't want to. The corners of his eyes were wet with tears and he was resisting the heavy urge to run to her and hold on to her and never, ever, _ever_ let her go. But he wouldn't. Not until she wanted him to. If she still hated him, then he wouldn't force himself on her, even if it killed him.

* * *

Toph stood with a smile on her face. She would never admit it, but she was sobbing. Luckily for her, there was nobody paying attention to her and she was managing to keep quiet.

There were so many heartbeats saying so many different things. There was so much excitement and joy and so much love. Everybody was feeling so much relief and happiness – it was like a drug to Toph. She always had to know how people were feeling because she could always hear their heartbeats, and all the tension of the past little while had left her feeling pretty glum herself – glummer than she would have been if she had been anybody else.

The sudden buzz of positiveness was overwhelming. Everybody was happy and smiling and feeling _good_.

Well, that was everybody but the two boys lingering near the cave's new entrance.

She wasn't so concerned about Windu – he was not close to her or particularly important to her in any way. It was fair enough that he felt so awkward where he was, but he'd suck it up and get over it in his own good time.

But Zuko...

Toph listened to his heartbeat a little closer. There was conflict – a large part of him wanted to throw himself at Katara and take her into his arms and hold on to her, but another part of him was afraid and he was holding himself back. Toph's smile flattened a little bit, and she felt herself sigh. That boy's moods were going to give her grey hair before she was fifteen!

* * *

For a few minutes, Katara stayed locking in her brother's arms. She felt safe for the first time in who knew how long and she didn't want to change that. But she pulled away and looked to see who else had come for her and Mai.

The other girl was being embraced very enthusiastically by Ty Lee and Katara couldn't help but smile and giggle at how sweet that was. There was Suki and Toph. Suki gave her a huge grin and a wave and Toph gave her a thumbs up.

And just behind the girls, there he was. Katara felt her heart skip a beat as she lay eyes on him and as he slowly lifted his from the ground to look back, she let a smile spread over her face. She did not stop herself from running over to him and throwing her arms around him.

Zuko smiling hugely to himself and wrapped his arms around her as tightly as he dared without hurting her or their unborn child. The lump of her belly made his heart beat even faster and he gently lifted her off the ground and spun her around, burying his face in her hair.

He set her down in front of him and held her closer to him, breathing in her sent and kissing her neck and just _holding_ onto her.

"Oh Zuko..." she sobbed onto him. "I missed you so much... I was so scared." She laughed a little, "I knew you'd come."

"Thank God you're safe," he sighed as his lips searched for hers. Hers searched out his too and when they met, their worlds exploded into oblivion.

Katara sank into his embrace and sighed in relief, so _happy_ to finally be in his arms again. She ran her fingers through his hair and touched his face and ran her hands along the plains of his chest, all the while, he did not let her go.

* * *

Azula smiled. Her brother was on top of the world for the first time since the wedding night had gone wrong. How could she not be happy for him?

"Thank goodness," she whispered.

Ursa stood behind the Princess and wrapped her arms around her. "They're not out of danger yet, my love. Let's not get too happy yet – there are things that could still go wrong."

Azula looked to her mother's face. "Mum, do you _know_ what will and won't happen?"

Ursa smiled at her daughter. "No, my love. But with common sense, I can take a guess at what has the possibility of happening or not happening."

Yue and Azula frowned at each other with worry and then they all looked back down into the well.

"Are they all going to get out of here in one piece?" she whispered.

Ursa kissed the top of her hair, "I have a bad feeling they won't..."

As they watched, the scene changed. The guards that Long Feng and Admiral Shang had sent to guard the area the girls were being held were about to arrive and there were plenty of them.

* * *

Windu watched the couple reunite. A bitter taste of jealousy made him cringe, and he tried to hide that fact. Katara and Zuko were _married_ and he'd already caused enough damage as it was. He didn't want to inflict them any more pain.

He forced himself to watch them.

He loved her and looked like he would take good care of her. He had come all of this way for her after all, so there was a lot of loyalty and dedication from him towards her. He cared – that was for sure. It was all too evident in the way he held on to her so tightly yet gently in his arms and kissed her so sweetly and tenderly.

The corners of his mouth twitched up in a smile and slowly the rest of his face melted into one too. He sighed and looked away. His eyes rested on Mai, the girl he had been dancing with and talking to at the wedding after-party.

He smiled a little wider and then glanced back towards Katara. Then he almost laughed – it didn't hurt so much anymore. That was when he realized it. He was starting to make eyes at another girl. And he was ready to let himself fall in love again.

He smiled at Mai and she glanced over at him for a moment and smiled back before she focused on Ty Lee again, who was dragging her over to Suki, who also gave her a hug.

Windu looked over to Sokka, who was watching Zuko and Katara. The Water Tribe warriors' eyes met and they gave each other a smile and a not before looking back at the couple.

A few seconds later, Windu felt somebody come up behind him, but he didn't take much notice of them – he was too lost in the moment.

Then a hand covered his mouth and he felt himself sink into the ground up to his waist.

* * *

When Zuko and Katara's lips fell away from each other, he kissed her cheeks, the tip of her nose, her cheeks again, her forehead, the corner of her mouth and her cheeks again. She couldn't stop smiling and tears of joy were cascading from her eyes. He kissed them away as they appeared and now and then, returned his lips to hers for a moment. His hands rubbed circles on her back and he still did not let go of her. He ran one of her hands through her hair and wiped some of her tears away with his thumb. His hand slid slowly down the side of her face and down the side of her body until it stopped to rest on her swollen belly.

Zuko pulled her that little bit closer to him and pressed his lips into hers again and held them there. She moved her hands back up his chest and over his shoulders and wrapped her arms around his neck.

When they pulled away, Katara propped her head against his chest and he kissed the top of her head and rested his cheek there. She closed her eyes, feeling so safe and warm and so happy to finally be being held again. He shut his eyes and sighed, overjoyed that she was safe and in his arms once more.

Toph's panicked voice brought them violently out of their utopia.

"GUYS! WE'VE GOT COMPANY!"

They opened their eyes and pulled out of each other's arms. Zuko spun on his heals and pulled Katara behind him as he faced the danger.

"Windu!" Sokka shouted. They all saw Windu, half buried in the earth with a Dai Li agent forcing a gag into his mouth.

Nobody really had time to count how many Dai Li agents were barring their way out because they all rushed in and started earthbending. But Toph was too quick to retaliate for them and outmatched them within seconds, blowing them all against the far wall and forcing a few out the hole that she had made when entering. The man who had gagged Windu was blown backwards to and Toph made the earth release him and raise him back to his feet.

But Dai Li, as everybody knows, do not go down easy. The majority of them sprang back to their feet a moment later and advanced again. Ty Lee managed to take a few out with her chi blocks and Windu and Mai took out those nearest them with hand to hand combat and blows to the head. Suki had her fans handy and fended off any who came too close to her and Sokka threw his boomerang around the room and took out his club. Zuko used his firebending and tried to keep Katara in the background even though she was keen to fight.

"Let me help!" she plead.

"No, Katara, it's too dangerous!" he shook his head.

"I can fight!"

"No!" he said, rounding on her. "You don't have any water! Don't get in their way – I just got you back and I am not losing you again!"

"Zuko! Look out!" Toph's voice shouted from across the way.

The young Fire Lord turned around just in time to see a Dai Li agent on the attack. An earth pillar rose from the ground and caught Zuko square in the stomach, pushing him back violently and winding him. But Toph saved him severe damage when she sent her own attack at the offending agent, knocking him to the ground and rendering him unconscious.

But as the Fire Lord got to his feet, he saw the consequences of Toph saving him unfold from the corner of his eye. To save him, and in turn Katara, she had had to take her focus off her own fight. There was no time for her to turn back to the several opponents who had surrounded her and who were taking her moment to save her friend as an opportunity to win the fight.

However many rocks collided with Toph with whatever force behind them was enough to make her fall and contort her face with pain. Her mouth opened as she tried not to let the cry of pain escape.

"Toph!" Zuko heard several voices call her name, including his own. But the girl was already on the floor. He jumped to his feet and was at Katara's side in less than a second, shaking off the pain in his gut from the half successful attack.

Suddenly it was as if there were too many of the Dai Li men for the others all to handle. They seemed to rain down on them like fire. The way they moved the earth seemed to cause explosions and stone and dust flew up everywhere. Zuko wrapped his arms around Katara and shielded her from a vast amount of the debris and as soon as it cleared, he turned around and started dragging her towards the exit by the wrist. But there were so many Dai Li agents in the way!

Toph lifted her head up and, seeing all of the people around her in peril as well as the earthbenders who were about to end her, she moved the earth so that it rippled under everyone's feet and did what she could to make sure her friends were the only ones who didn't fall over and then get at least partially sucked up by the ground beneath them.

"Toph!" Sokka cried indignantly as she failed to keep him from sinking down to his waist in the earth.

"Sorry..." she pushed him back up, but Dai Li agents were earthbenders too and could get themselves out. Many of them had already figured that out and were already on their feet again.

Somebody struck Windu in the head and somebody grabbed Mai. Windu fell to the ground on the border of unconsciousness and Ty Lee tried to attack the man who had grabbed Mai and was pulling her backwards. But the acrobat soon found her feet encased in earth.

Somebody attacked Suki but she managed to dodge out of the way, but Zuko and Katara suddenly found themselves surrounded by the enemy.

"Zuko! Katara!" Toph shouted.

Zuko was doing what he could to shield Katara from the attackers, but Toph knew it was hopeless if she didn't step in. They were all going to die or become imprisoned at the very least if she didn't act fast.

Toph quickly got to her feet and dropped into a wide stance, lifting her arms towards the ceiling and stamping her feet as she brought them down sharply. With her movement – her command – the roof of the cave fell in.

**

* * *

**

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Cliff-hanger! And definitely one of the longest chapters I've written in a while! Go me! And guys, I'm sorry for the long time between updates, I really am. But I guess this was still less than a week, so I'm not doing too badly.

**That might change soon though – as of Monday in two weeks, I start working, which means it might take just a wee bit longer for me to crank out the chapters. Anyway, I stayed home sick today, so that's probably the only reason you ended up receiving this one. **

**But whatever! Here you go! I hope you liked it – tell me what you thought of the Zutara fluff and the reunion and the fight and the everything! :D I'm really excited to know what you think because a lot just happened this chapter. **

**So review – remember, I need three (3) before I can update. AND I'M ONLY 2 OF 100!!! xD Have I ever told you guys you're awesome?**

**REVIEW!**

**JOIN TEAM ZUTARA!!!**

**KAPOW!!! XD 3 **


	22. You Promised

**THANK YOU FOR 100**** REVIEWS!!! xD Love you guys who review me so much. You're all awesome :) And even though I only got two reviews for last chapter, I was too excited to not update and anyway I woulda gotten three if SOMEONE hadn't broken her ipod -_- Lol. **

**Anyway ****I can't wait to see your reviews on this chapter. So please remember to give them to me. :) Remember, I need three (3) before I can update again.**

**WARNING: Well, telling you EXACTLY what I'm warning you of might give away too much of the story and I don't want to do that, so I'll just warn you that I might bring you close to tears at some point in this chapter :D Especially if you love a certain blind earthbender as dearly as I do...**

**So read, review and enjoy.**

* * *

_**Previously…**_

_"I miss everyone I've lost, Toph. And out of all of those people, Azula is probably the one I miss the most."_

_"Who else have you lost that comes so close with Azula that you can't tell the feelings apart?" she asked._

_Zuko knew that she was only curious._

_"I lost my mum. If I had never found out the truth about Azula, I'd easily say I missed Mum more. But now that I know Azula actually loved me and helped me…" He shrugged at a loss for words._

_"I'm sorry you lost them," Toph whispered._

_Zuko smiled sadly at her. "Toph, promise me something."_

_"What?"_

_"Don't give up your life to save mine," he told her._

_They looked at each other for a moment and hesitation streaked across her face, as plain as day._

_Biting her lip, she nodded slowly, "Uh… ok. But that means that you're not allowed to die for me either. And it also means that you have to keep out of life threatening situations when I'm around."_

_Zuko pulled her into a tight hug, "If I'm your big brother, then it's my job to save your butt when it needs saving… but if that's the way it has to be… then fine. I won't die for you, but I'll get as close to it as I need to."_

_Toph sighed, "Deal."_

_Zuko kissed her on the forehead and she hugged him._

* * *

**22. You Promised**

Everything seemed to stay still for a few moments as the dirt and dust settled. Everybody was sprawled out on the floor with their arms over their head for protection, hoping that they could somehow save themselves from being crushed as the ceiling fell in.

But one by one, Zuko, Katara, Sokka, Suki, Mai, Ty Lee and Windu opened their eyes to see that Toph had done a reasonably good job keeping the ceiling from causing them too much damage. Many of the Dai Li agents, however, had not been quick so lucky. Those who hadn't been buried alive were certainly unconscious and those who weren't unconscious were already dead. It was a very unnerving sight, but it was a relief at the same time.

Each of the group members searched the cave for each other, just to make sure none of them had been lost. They all got to their feet and gave each other awkward smiles, slightly shocked at the sudden end put to their battle and quick shaken from the near death experience Toph had used to their advantage.

"Thank you, Toph," Sokka sighed with a high pitched laugh, spelling his soiled pants out as plain as day.

Zuko stopped smiling. His eyes raced over the people standing around him as they picked their way to a spot near the exit.

"Toph?" he called her name. "Toph?!"

She didn't answer. The others all looked around, but like Zuko, they could not see her anywhere.

"Oh my gosh..." Suki gasped. "You don't think...?"

"No!" Sokka said quickly. "She couldn't have buried herself under there by accident. She's an earthbender! One of the greatest earthbenders in the world! It... it just couldn't have happened!"

But Sokka's words sounded uncertain, even to his own ears.

Everyone looked around.

"No... Toph?" Katara called out.

Everyone started calling the girl's name out.

"Toph? Where are you?!"

"Please answer us!"

"Are you alright? Where are you, Toph?!"

Ty Lee almost screamed, "Guys, I think I found her!"

Toph's hand had reached out from under some of the rocks and wrapped itself around the acrobat's ankle, scaring the poor girl out of her wits for a moment. The others raced over to help Ty Lee uncover the earthbender from the rocks. Toph was curled up in a ball under the debris with her face screwed up in pain and her eyes closed.

She coughed violently a few times, her whole body shaking as she tried to rid her lungs of dust. Tears began to streak their way past her eyelashes and she moaned in pain. The others all stooped around her, all speaking at once, all worried for her.

"Toph, are you ok?"

"Are you hurt?"

"What's wrong?!"

"Hold on, we'll get you out!"

"Can you walk? Do you think you can get up?"

"Guys! Guys! Shush for a sec!" Katara protested against the noise. The others all went quiet and listened to her.

"Toph," she asked quietly, Zuko hovering right behind her with a worried look plastered on his face. "Can you hear me, honey?"

Toph didn't move besides the shaking of her body as she tried not to sob. But even that small amount of movement seemed to cause her nearly unbearable pain. Katara held her hand – the one she'd grabbed Ty Lee with.

"Toph, if you can hear me, I want you to squeeze my hand, ok?"

It was gentle. No, not gentle – weak. But Katara felt it. Toph squeezed her hand and as soon as she stopped squeezing, her sobs grew a little more distinct.

The others were all silent, holding onto their breaths. Their eyes were wide with fear and concern and they were all watching and waiting to see how things were about to turn out. Was Toph alright?

"Listen to me, Toph, I need you to give me some indication... where does it hurt?"

All Toph could do was squeeze Katara's hand again. She still wasn't opening her eyes or moving anymore than her shaking sobs made her.

Biting her lip, Katara continued.

"Do you think you've broken any bones? If no, squeeze my hand once, if yes, squeeze twice, alright?"

Toph squeezed her hand again. Twice. Katara gulped and looked over the girl's body. She looked up at Zuko who looked as if he was about to burst into tears. She could see his hands shaking and his face was pale. The man looked back at her and nodded, hearing her unasked question.

Zuko knelt down next to Toph and Katara and helped Katara feel around Toph's body, looking for broken bones.

"Her ribs..." Zuko whispered, not daring to speak above a whisper. Katara placed her hands where Zuko's had been and felt for herself – the girl's ribs were definitely broken.

"Be really gentle – check her back for me. Be really, really, gentle."

Zuko nodded and gently ran his fingers down Toph's spinal chord, feeling for bumps or gaps that seemed out of place. He couldn't feel anything, but didn't want to assume...

"Nothing I can feel, that's not to say there's nothing wrong with it. Ask her," he suggested.

"Toph, do you think your back is broken?"

Toph hesitated for a moment, as if she was thinking of it and trying to figure out the answer. It was like, she was in so much pain that she couldn't tell where it hurt and where it didn't, and she was trying to see past the blinding pain so that she could figure it out.

She squeezed Katara's hand once and then slowly, opened her eyes and turned her head just a fraction as if to look at Katara's expression, where she not blind.

Zuko moved his head so he'd be able to see her eyes. They were gleaming with tears and full of fear.

"It hurts..." she breathed. Her voice was hardly audible and her mouth was full of blood. A little bit trickled out of her mouth when she opened it.

"Oh gosh!" Ty Lee shrieked, jumping back. She turned away and covered her eyes.

"Internal bleeding?" Windu asked, cringing.

Katara nodded, "I think so."

"It hurts..." Toph sobbed.

"It's alright babe, just hold on. We'll get you out of here and help you," Katara whispered, gently pulling some hair back behind Toph's ear. There was a nasty bump on her head and Katara thought how lucky Toph was not to have had her head cracked open.

"Guys," Windu said, trying to think logically. "We need to get out of here. Long Feng isn't going to take long to figure out that we managed to outdo his servants this time, and with Toph down, I don't think we'll be able to take them again. And she needs medical attention – we're not going to get any of that down there."

"Well what the hell do you suggest we do then, smart guy?!" Zuko shouted, rounding on the Water Tribe boy so fast that if Windu had not already been half expecting it, he probably would have fallen over.

"Zuko, pick her up as gently and carefully as you can and all of you follow me back out of here," he said in an even voice, trying to be the logical thinker and hoping this might make up for at least some of the damage he'd caused.

Zuko's breath was coming in short, sharp spurts – a dead giveaway that he was stressing out big-time.

"Zuko," Katara put a hand on his back. "He's right."

The Fire Lord sucked in a deep breath and let it out gently, trying to calm some of his nerves. He nodded once and turned back to Toph.

"Toph, do you think you can hold on until we get out of here?"

"Just get me out... please..."

Zuko was hesitant, but gently and as carefully as he could, he lifted the little bind girl into his arms. Katara helped settle her into a position where her head was rested against his chest so that her neck didn't strain and her airways didn't get blocked. Toph gasped a couple of times in pain as they moved her and they both whispered apologies to her. She just smiled tightly and tried not to make the situation any worse for herself by moving more.

The group picked their way over the rocks and out of the cave as quickly and carefully as they could, Zuko and Katara lingering at the back and going slowly so they didn't cause Toph any more pain than necessary.

Windu led them back to where his prison cell had been. There were more run-ins with Dai Li members this time, but he, Sokka, Ty Lee and Suki managed to make short work of most of them before they noticed them.

Much to their relief, the hole they'd used to enter the underground had not been closed up. It was a bit of a struggle to get up, but they managed, though it took a lot of effort on Zuko and Katara's behalf as they dragged Toph up too. Suki and Sokka did what they could to help without getting in the way, which was mostly holding on to Zuko and Katara to make sure they didn't fall the rest of the way back down.

Appa was waiting faithfully outside, just waking up from a nap by the lake. Momo chattered and jumped over to Ty Lee, who cuddled him tightly and almost started crying on him.

Zuko looked down at Toph in his arms and tried to smile, but she was too out of it to be able to see him. Katara led them to the water's edge and Zuko lay her down as gently as he could in the sand.

"Hold on, Toph," he whispered. "Katara's got water now – she can heal you."

Katara's heart skipped a beat.

_Water..._

She hadn't had enough water to bend since before she and Mai were abducted. She placed her hands in Lake Laogai and sighed as the cool substance played around her fingers. Then, she set her mind to task – she could play later, but Toph's life depended on her taking action, fast.

Katara lifted her hands from the water and an orb of water followed, encasing her hands. Because of lack of practice, it took a little more effort than usual for the water to begin to glow, but as soon as it did, she moved her hands over Toph's body.

"Zuko, I know it might be a bit awkward, but could you –?"

He started undoing the sashes and ties on Toph's shirt before Katara had even finished her sentence. It didn't matter to him that he was undressing someone – Toph needed Katara to heal her and the only thing that mattered was that it happened.

She ran her hands over the girl's broken ribs, healing some of the bruising that had started. The bump disappeared quickly and the scratches and scrapes everywhere else vanished with a touch. But there wasn't much she could do for the injuries inside her.

Toph coughed and then cringed at the pain in caused in her chest. Little flecks of blood erupted from her mouth with each cough and Zuko turned her head to the side so that she wouldn't drown in it all. Katara nearly jumped up as the river of blood slowly trickled from her mouth.

"Toph..." Zuko shook his head. "No..."

Katara tried to work harder at healing, but even she knew that her powers had a limit.

Toph's eyes began to droop shut.

"Please, hold on," Katara begged.

Zuko ran his fingers gently through her hair and let his tears of despair run down his cheeks silently.

"Toph... no..." Katara shook her head as the girl's eyes closed. Toph lay still. "No..." She began to cry and the water around her hands left her control.

Zuko stopped breathing for a moment. He watched the girl's face, hoping, silently begging her to move and to open her eyes again. Just to give some sort of sign that she was still alive.

He felt the others coming to stand around them, but they didn't come too close. They knew it was best to give each other space. Somewhere in the background, Zuko could hear other people crying – people other than just Katara. He heard some of them say her name and say other things too, but he couldn't make out what. Everything just seemed so far away.

"Toph...?"

Zuko reached forwards with one hand and very gently touched her face. Her skin was porcelain white and was not as warm as he knew it should have been. She did not move. And suddenly, the reality of everything caught up to him.

"Toph!" he half shouted, his voice trembling. "Wake up! Toph, you promised! YOU PROMISED!"

Katara looked up at him with watery eyes. She reached forward with one hand and touched his face. "Zuko…"

He swatted her hand away and shook Toph by the shoulders, "WAKE UP, DAMN IT!"

"Zuko!"

"Katara, heal her!" he begged her, his eyes frantic as they met hers. "Please! Heal her! Make her wake up!"

"I tried!" Katara said, her hands digging into the sand. She hung her head and shook it gently. "I failed..."

"NO!" Sokka shouted, dropping to his knees at his sister's side. "Katara, giving up isn't an option! Keep healing her!"

"Sokka, she's gone!"

The Water Tribe warrior put two fingers against her neck just to prove his sister wrong and almost smiled when he did – _almost_.

Zuko was leaning over her, still running his fingers through her hair as he cried over her, shamelessly.

"Toph, you promised."

"Give her to me!" Katara nearly screamed. She grabbed Toph and nearly ripped her out of Zuko's arms, much to the boy's disapproval. She dragged Toph into the water in the lake and held on to her as tightly as she could without crushing her bones any more than they already were.

Their friends stood at the river bank and watched. Katara's face was blotchy and tearstained and she was shaking.

"Come on..." she begged. "Heal!"

For a few moments, nothing happened and Sokka felt terrible for having stepped in when he had. His sister just wasn't going to cope.

"Katara..." he whispered and took a step closer to the water's edge.

"Stay there!" she ordered, trying to keep Toph's head above the water.

Sokka stopped where he was and watched on with the others. Then, just faintly at first, the water around the two girls began to glow. The light slowly got brighter and brighter, and Katara concentrated al of her energy on healing Toph.

_There is water in blood..._ she reminded herself.

She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on Toph's blood. She'd never tried it before, but maybe, just maybe...

"Katara! What are you doing?!" Suki exclaimed.

But Katara did not open her eyes to see what Suki meant – she could feel the energy. It was working. Katara was healing Toph from the inside by using the girl's blood. She tried to block out all distractions, fearing that if she let her concentration slip even in the slightest, her new found power would be lost and she would not be able to regain it.

* * *

Zuko and the others beside him watched in amazement. They had no idea that Katara was capable of something so ... wonderful. After the water around them had begun to glow, something very strange happened that none of them had ever seen before. Katara closed her eyes and concentrated harder, and suddenly, Toph's skin was glowing with a faint blue light. It much reminded them all of Aang when he was in the Avatar state and his eyes and tattoos began to glow. But this wasn't quite as bright.

But they all had an idea of what Katara was doing. They just hoped it would work.

* * *

Azula had a hand pressed against her mouth as she watched Katara trying to save Toph's life. For a moment there, all three of the Spirit women thought that Toph would be joining them in the Spirit World. But when they saw Katara's efforts to heal her, they thought again. Katara was a strong waterbender – perhaps she hadn't been too late to save Toph or too incapable after all.

"Oh ... please, please, please, Katara... you can do it." Azula kept whispering words of encouragement down into the well. "Toph, please, you can pull through. Please hold on – my brother needs you. _Our_ brother needs you..."

Ursa held on to Azula and Yue leaned her head on her shoulder. There were tears in the Fire Princess's eyes – something the others still could not explain. How was it possible that Azula, after being dead for so long, could still feel full human emotions?

* * *

It had been so long since Katara had been surrounded by her element. It was a blessing to finally have so much water. The feel of it caressing her body was heavenly and relaxing. Best of all, it made her feel powerful again.

The younger girl in her arms was being healed from both the inside and the outside thanks to her. Katara was so proud of herself for discovering this new way of healing people, by using their blood to heal their internal injuries. She didn't know how well she was healing the bones and was very careful not to heal the ones that weren't on their correct angle. She used the water to see, much like Toph used the earth. She searched Toph's insides with her water and found all of the injuries she was capable of healing and in no time at all – yet at the same time it seemed to take forever – she managed to heal quite a few of the broken bones and the internal bleeding.

But one thing Katara had learned from past experiences was that healing was not easy work. It took a lot of energy and the longer and harder she concentrated, the more of her energy it used up.

She could feel Toph's body healing and she was finding less and less things to heal. Katara smiled at her work and willed herself to keep working until she was drained. She could feel the girl's pulse and her blood pumping and heartbeat all returning to its normal, healthy pace. Toph was going to be ok...

Katara's head started spinning and she felt the last of her energy drain away from her. The next thing she knew, she was submerged in the water and her world was slowly fading out.

* * *

Zuko and Sokka ran into the water as soon as Katara passed out.

"Get Toph," Zuko said when he saw how Sokka was struggling with his own sister. Sokka scooped Toph up into his arms instead and Zuko pulled Katara back out of the water. Much to his relief, neither of them had swallowed too much water.

Once they were back on the river bank, Katara's eyes fluttered open.

"Oh gosh..." she grumbled, putting a hand against the side of her head to stop it from spinning.

"Just stay still, Katara," Zuko whispered with a smile. "You did great."

She smiled back up at him and he lowered his head to place a kiss gently on her lips. He felt her sigh and he kissed her forehead before he sat up again. Katara stayed lying down and took a few deep breaths as her energy replenished itself.

Zuko moved over to where Sokka was and knelt down next to Toph with him.

"Toph?" he called her name gently, touching her cheek with his fingertips. His fingers trailed down to her neck where he felt for her pulse. There it was – throbbing gently under her skin as it should be. He smiled and felt the relief flood him. He bent over and gently kissed the top of her head. "You're ok, Toph."

She still did not wake up, but he knew she was going to be fine.

"We still need to find Aang," Sokka said from where he was kneeling next to Katara.

Zuko straightened up and nodded.

Suki stepped forward, "Guys, let's get Katara and Toph into Appa's saddle and leave them in his and Momo's care. I'd say they'll be alright on their own and if trouble comes Appa can fly them off to safety. Same goes if we need to make a quick escape once we've got Aang – we can just jump aboard and go," she explained.

They all nodded at her logical thinking and as gently as they could, hoisted Katara and Toph into Appa's saddle. Momo perched himself between them as the others headed back down into the underground of Old Ba Sing Se, ready to take one final trip to save the Avatar.

* * *

**:D I was really happy with this chapter. So tell me EVERYTHING you thought. Did you think I was going to kill Toph for a moment there??? You know, I did consider it. But I love her too much and I need her for the plot of the next few stories in the saga. **

**SO REVIEW! And give lots and lots of feedback if you please! ^_^ Love ya's all and remember I need to hear from at least three (3) of you before I can update. So review!**

**AND JOIN TEAM ZUTARA!!!**


	23. Beneath the Earth

**Hey guys, sorry for not updating in so long, it's been a pretty crazy last few weeks. Piles of homework, plus a bit of heartbreak and confusion and some family issues and a trip down the stairs at school... ya know... :P But I decided to suck it up and I scraped up as much motivation as I could, just for you guys, so that I could write this chapter :) **

**Hope you like it and thanks for those of you still tuned in here :) Read, review and enjoy. **

**Remember, I need 3 reviews. **

**Go!

* * *

**

**23. Beneath the Earth**

Zuko, Sokka, Windu, Suki, Ty Lee and Mai all jumped back down into the underground and Windu led the way as best as he could to where he knew the Avatar to be. Unknown to them, Shang and Long Feng were expecting them, and had ordered the Dai Li agents to keep clear and let them through. They had something planned for them – a special... welcoming.

* * *

They had drugged Aang again, and he was slipping in and out of consciousness. He wasn't quite sure what exactly was going on, but he knew that there was something and it was big. There was only one thing he was certain of – someone had rescued Mai and Katara from their prison. Or at least he was pretty sure of it. He'd been conscious when one Dai Li agent had come to inform Long Feng about the incident, but he hadn't gotten the finer details, like _who_ it was that had rescued them.

Aang let his eyelids droop shut and his body went limp for a few moments before he regained consciousness and opened them again with a start. His head was spinning, or was it the room? He felt dizzy and sick to his stomach and head.

Slowly, he tried breathing in and out but the choker around his neck made it hard. He wished he could airbend – he'd have gotten himself out of there in no time at all. If only, if only...

His chin touched his chest as he lost consciousness again.

* * *

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Zuko asked impatiently as he walked virtually on Windu's heels.

"Yes, I'm sure! Would you stop asking?"

"Why's this taking so long?" Sokka whined. "Why hasn't anyone attacked us yet? Is this some sort of trap?" The Water Tribe warrior glared at his fellow tribe brother.

"Hey, if you don't trust me then head on back out of here and I'll save the Avatar myself!" he said, irritated.

"If this is a trap, I _swear_ I'm gonna – "

"Sokka, give it a rest, please!" Suki shouted. He huffed, but shut his mouth.

They continued on in silence for a while until Windu stopped in his tracks and looked back over them with worry. "Alright guys, it's just around here," he said, indicating around a bend in the passage. "But I don't know what to expect. I would of thought that we would have been attacked by now... but something's telling me that the fact that we weren't was no accident on Long Feng's behalf."

Zuko stepped forward, a crease in his brow, "They're waiting for us..." he murmured. Sokka nodded in agreement.

"Well, what do we do?" Ty Lee asked in her innocent little voice. Her eyes were very wide with fear and she was wringing her wrists.

Everyone stayed quiet and for a few moments, they all just stared ahead of them. Then, one by one, the heads all turned to Zuko and Sokka. Sokka turned to Zuko and the Fire Lord looked over all of them and then his eyes rested on Sokka's again.

"Zuko, you're the Fire Lord. You are my sister's husband and my brother-in-law. I think... whatever happened back at the palace after the weddings can be put behind us, at least for now. I trust your judgement over anyone else's at the moment – even over my own." Sokka spoke solemnly and did not break the eye contact with Zuko. He meant every word he said. "I think I speak for everyone here when I say that I'm willing to go with whatever you want to do, however crazy, stupid and outrageous it may be."

The two boys kept their eyes locked on each other for a long moment. Then, Zuko let his eyes wander over the faces of the others standing before him. Each of them gave him a small nod or a quirky smile to assure him Sokka was right – they all trusted him and were willing to let him decide what to do.

"What do we do?" Ty Lee asked again, a little more confidently now that she was sure she wasn't the only one looking up to Zuko.

That rare and beautiful smile that Zuko only gives when he's really truly happy spread over his lips and, for a few seconds, his whole face showed great resemblance to that of an angel's.

Then he was serious again, "We're going in," he said. "We're going to get Aang out of there and then we're all going back to the Fire Nation. We came all this way – we've got Katara and Mai out, we nearly lost Toph and we're not leaving without Aang. _No one_ is being left behind here."

Ty Lee, Sokka, Suki, and Windu all looked at him with smiles of admiration. Mai's emotionless face did not falter, but Zuko did notice the slight slump of her shoulders as she looked at him. He smiled back at them all. Then, all as one, they turned and continued down the passage.

As they moved around the bend, they saw up ahead a wide doorway in the side of the passage. Windu moved up ahead of everyone else again with Zuko and Sokka right behind him and they all peered through the door. They found themselves looking into a vast room, lit with a couple of large lanterns. The room glowed an eerie green – eerier than the passage or anywhere else they'd seen. Some of the green crystals were growing in clusters around the room and contributed to the strange green glow just as much as the lanterns did.

And at the far end of the room, his head hung low and his whole body cast in shadows, Aang was chained like some sort of feral animal by his neck, arms and legs, to both the ceiling and the ground.

The group dashed silently into the room and ran towards the Avatar, Ty Lee and Sokka calling out his name as they went.

* * *

The three spirit women waited for the outcome of their potentially fatal mistake from their places around the well. Their eyes were concerned and they could all feel worry and the tug of life as death prepared to rip it away from the world of the mortals.

"Mother... can you tell who will be joining us?" Azula whispered.

Ursa shook her head, "I do not know, sweetheart."

The Fire Princess spirit's eyes were wide with fear. "Please... Gods, spare Zuko. Don't take my brother..."

Ursa put a hand gently over one of Azula's as they all continued to watch.

* * *

Sokka reached Aang first and grabbed him by the shoulder firmly. "Aang?!"

The young monk's head shot up and his eyes went wide for a moment before his eyelids drooped again, "S-Sokka...?" the young boy rasped quietly.

"I'm here buddy... we're all here," Sokka assured him. "And we're gonna get you out."

The others were all standing just behind Sokka and Zuko came forward to inspect Aang's restraints.  
"Thank you guys..." Aang whispered. The last airbender was overjoyed to finally be seeing his friends. He felt the fear of dying in there, alone, slowly leaving him and he felt himself flooding with relief. He just hoped that his friends wouldn't all end up trapped in there with him.

Aang tried to stay conscious but whatever drugs had been given to him were putting up a hard fight. The faces of his rescuers blurred and faded and became clear again, constantly slipping in and out of his vision as he battled with unconsciousness.

"This is insane," Zuko murmured to himself, but loud enough for the others to hear him. "Alright guys, help me figure this out. Any ideas? Windu, do you know where the keys to any of these locks are?" he asked, gently shaking some of the chains that were imprisoning Aang.

"I don't know..." Windu said, helplessly. "If there is a key, it will be with Long Feng, or Admiral Shang."

"Gods dammit!" Zuko cursed, stepping back from Aang before he lost control and ended up hurting him by mistake.

"Just hang in there buddy," Sokka said. "We'll get you out!"

"I'm afraid... that will be impossible." A chilling and familiar voice spoke from behind them all. They all turned quickly to see Long Feng, standing between them and their exit, a smirk across his cool face and his hands tucked neatly into his sleeves. "None of you are going anywhere."

"I beg to differ," Zuko challenged. "We are _all_ leaving this place. So if you don't mind, release Aang and let us pass."

"Sorry," Long Feng shrugged. To the horror of the gang standing before him, the exit behind him closed up. They all tensed and held their breath, not quite sure what to do as the Dai Li members appeared alongside Long Feng and Admiral Shang came to stand by his side. "No can do."

Each of them took up a fighting stance, though they knew all too well that they were very well outnumbered and outmatched. And this time, they didn't have Toph to save them...

"Let us pass!" Sokka demanded. "You have no idea what you're doing, now let us go!"

Zuko's eyes were narrowed on Shang. "And you – if you run off like a coward like you did last time, I'm going to make sure you die anyway for what you did to my sister. I will hunt you down and make you pay."

The Fire Lord could see the discomfort in the Admiral's eyes and saw him shift his weight from one foot to the other. There was that slow bob of his Adam's apple as he swallowed a dry lump in his throat, but other than that, his expression and pose did not falter.

"I could give her back to you, you know," Long Feng said. Zuko's expression faltered and he looked at Long Feng. "I could bring them all back."

It took Zuko a moment to pull himself together – that was impossible. Nobody had the power to raise the dead. He couldn't let himself fall for Long Feng's tricks, as good as it all sounded...

"No," he said in an even voice. "You're lying. You can't do that. You couldn't if you tried."

Long Feng smirked again. Suddenly, Zuko started feeling very claustrophobic. He wanted to get out of there. He wanted them all to just get out of there and leave and never come back.

At the same, a soothing feeling of calm began to sweep over him. Unknown and unnoticed to any of the gang members, the Dai Li were using a hypnotizing trick on them, and there was nothing they could do.

"I can give them back to you, Zuko," Long Feng smirked. "Wouldn't you like to have your mother back? And Azula?"

That feeling of calm continued to consume him and he felt himself relaxing, feeling the lull of the hypnosis settling in on him. He felt himself starting to believe Long Feng's words and falling for his trick...

And in his mind's eyes, he could see himself standing there, his mother and his sister next to him, together and alive.

"_My son..."_ he heard his mother whisper. _"Stay strong, my son..."_

Zuko blinked and felt himself try to move towards Long Feng, even though he didn't know why.

"Don't fall for it, Zuko!" someone – Suki, he was pretty sure – shouted out from behind him. He stopped in his tracks with a small start, not quite sure what had come over him. "Zuko, come back."

The man felt himself take a step back towards his friends, but his head was all cloudy and he felt confused. What was happening? What was he doing? What was he thinking?

"_My son..."_ she whispered. _"Hold on to what you know. Listen to your friends – do not fall for Long Feng's tricks. Never forget who you are."_

A thousand memories flashed through Zuko's head in which he was with his mother or sister. All his childhood... the games they played... the way they'd cared for each other... the times they'd laughed and the times they'd cried... their trips to Ember Island during the summer... the whole family... together... happy... whole...

The last time he saw his mother alive... his banishment – all of his memories with his Uncle and hunting the Avatar. The Earth Kingdom village where he'd met the little boy, Lee... his time in Ba Sing Se... his time back in the Fire Nation before he ran away to join the Avatar... the time his sister had been with them as their prisoner... the way she'd died in his arms... the vision he'd had of his mother speaking to him ... his knife... the cut on his finger... his mother's voice...

"_Zuko..."_

"No," Zuko said, stepping back to stand alongside the others. "I don't believe you."

Long Feng sighed, but it was obvious it was fake, "Pity... you would have made such a good ally."

"More like slave..." Zuko muttered.

Long Feng smirked, "Touché."

Then, as if some sort of silent order had been given, the two Dai Li agents either side of Long Feng and Shang stepped forward and thrust their hands forward, sending a pillar of earth towards Zuko and the others. They all managed to dodge and the next thing anybody knew, the group had been scattered and Dai Li agents were attacking them all. One of them grabbed Sokka and Suki smacked him over the head as hard as she could, knocking him out cold. Ty Lee got as close to them as she could and attacked them with her chi bocks, but there were so many of them... Windu was surrounded and brought to his knees within moments and Mai was running out of throwing knives and ninja stars fast. Zuko was the only bender in their group, as they all realized with horror. It didn't look good at all...

Someone grabbed Suki from behind and she was thrown to the ground where she was pinned down. A Dai Li agent raised the earth over her arms and legs so that she could not stand up again.

"Suki!" Sokka shouted as he ran towards her. But he only ended up trapped in the ground next to her.

Zuko surrounded himself with fire and fought of as many of the Dai Li agents as he could. But there was so many of them. Somebody grabbed Ty Lee and she could not twist herself around enough to attack them with her chi blocks. She struggled to breathe with their hand clasped over her throat.

"Hey!" Mai shouted, throwing a knife at the Dai Li agent. Momentarily distracted as he dodged the attack, Ty Lee managed to get one of her arms free, and with that arm, she jabbed a couple of his pressure points and the man fell limp to the ground.

For a moment, the two girls smiled at each other and then, out of the corner of her eye, Mai saw Zuko in the midst of a fight with a Dai Li agent, and just behind him, another one was about to attack him. There was no time for her to think – she just did the only thing she could bring herself to do.

For the man she had loved since she was a little girl, for the man she loved to that day, despite the fact that he would never be hers, despite the fact that he was married, for the man who was married to one of her best friends...

"Zuko, look out!"

Mai rushed forward just in time to push him out of the way – just in time to save his life. She took his place between the two attacks as he stumbled to the ground. To one side, she felt the sharp edge of a rock pierce her like a knife, and to the other side, she felt a mass of rock being thrown against her body, breaking her. And before she could hit the floor, her eyes had closed and her world had gone black. Mai did not scream as she fell or as the last of her life slowly drained away from her as she lay on the ground.

"Mai!" Zuko shouted. He rushed forward and pushed some of the rocks off of her as he gathered her up in his arms. "Mai?!" He shook her gently, but she gave him no response. She was bleeding from where rocks had pierced her in the side and there was a little bit of blood dribbling from the corner of her mouth. "Mai!!!"

Everything around him began to dissolve. This couldn't be right – this couldn't be happening again. No, he couldn't lose somebody else he held so dear to him. He could not lose Mai too.

He felt somebody grab him from behind and pull him backwards, forcing him to release Mai's body. Somebody had Ty Lee and they were holding her arms behind her back. She fell to her knees, tears in her eyes as she watched the lifeless body of her friend.

_So this is it..._ Zuko thought. _It's over – we failed._ The Fire Lord hung his head and felt something warm and wet streaming down his face. _**I **__failed._ How could he not pull the blame upon himself? It had been his decision to go through with this. They'd all turned to him when a choice had to be made. And he'd made the wrong choice; a choice which had led to all of them being captured, and Mai being killed. It was all his fault.

* * *

"We have to do something!" Azula shouted as she leaned over the well. "Mother..." She turned to the older woman. "Please, we have to do something! We can't let this happen!"

From the well, a mist seemed to rise and form the figure of a woman who came to stand outside the well with the other three spirit women. It was Mai's spirit and she stood there, looking confused and afraid. When she saw Azula and Ursa, she shut her eyes again and breathed a sigh. She moved her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

The first thing that Azula noticed was that Mai was not completely there. Her spirit figure was very transparent – more so than it should have been. She looked to her mother in confusion.

"She is not dead just yet," Ursa explained. "Her spirit has not fully left her body yet."

"So she can still be saved, right?!" Azula urged.

Ursa bit her lip, "Darling..."

"Mum!"

"Yes, she could be saved, but chances of someone arriving to help her in time are slim."

Azula hung her head and pressed her lips together in a tight, thin line. Mai opened her eyes again and on seeing the tears on her friends face, stepped towards her with a hand outreached. Azula opened her eyes to her friend's touch and put a hand over Mai's when it touched her cheek.

"Oh Mai... thank you for saving my brother... if only you could have been saved too..."

* * *

Aang heard their distressed cries, their calls to each other. He opened his eyes and saw them all fighting. He saw Mai save Zuko, and saw her fall to the ground. His heart skipped a beat – one of his friends was dying and he was chained up and could do nothing. Zuko held her in his arms and tried to wake her, but she didn't stir. Dai Li agents were everywhere – they took them all and held them back. He watched his friends struggling and trying to get free. He saw some of them crying and he wished that Mai would move or at least show some sort of sign that she was still alive.

The Dai Li agents began to drag his friends away...

_No,_ he thought to himself. _I can't let this happen! I can't just let them be imprisoned or killed like me! They're here because they are trying to save me – I can't let them become imprisoned too! I can't let these people do this to my friends._

They were hurting them. One of the uniformed men pulled on Suki's hair and grabbed her roughly by the arm as he dragged her away. Aang heard her cry out in pain. Someone was dragging Sokka by his hair.

_No, __**not my friends!**_

* * *

The glow in the room changed from an eerie green to an eerie blue and Admiral Shang felt a chill shoot up his spine. His eyes flashed over the room and rested on the Avatar for a moment. The monk's eyes and tattoos were aglow and there was a current of air stirring the dust on the ground.

_Shit..._ he thought to himself.

Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing when they noticed Aang, and much to the horror of Long Feng, Shang and the Dai Li agents, Aang bent the metal that restrained him so that it released him. The Avatar stood, encircled by a sphere of air, frowning at them all.

Struck with fear, Dai Li agents fled, leaving many openings and exits to the prison room. Those who remained stepped back, mouths agape. Admiral Shang slunk away unnoticed while he could, knowing and fearing what would come next.

Aang shook the ground and cracks appeared everywhere. Suddenly there was wind, and it blew everywhere with gale force. Everyone in the room had to cover their eyes to protect them from the dusts being whipped around.

Zuko looked up from his place on the floor and saw Mai still lying where she had fallen and realizing he was no longer being held, made his way towards her.

Aang's eyes narrowed on Long Feng, who stood in an earthbending stance before him, ready to fight. His eyes were wide, but showed no fear. But he was tense – too tense not to be panicking inside. And as Aang inhaled air, Long Feng squeezed his eyes shut, knowing that he was no match for the Avatar in the Avatar State. When Aang breathed out, he breathed fire. Long Feng desperately raised the earth in front of him, but the flames were so powerful and intense, it was just no use.

Rocks from the ceiling began to fall as the floor continued shaking. Sokka helped Suki up and Ty Lee managed to bring Windu back to consciousness. They all looked about until they found Zuko and Mai, and they all carefully headed over to huddle over Mai's body, being careful to avoid falling rocks and making sure they did not get caught and swept away in the updraft of the wind.

"We need to get out of here!" Sokka shouted over the noise.

Zuko looked up to the boy. His face was pale and expressionless. All he could do was nod.

When the fire erupting from Aang's mouth died away, nothing was left of Long Feng other than a pile of ashes. There were no more Dai Li agents left lingering in the room – they'd all fled. But Aang was still in the Avatar State and there were still rocks falling from the ceiling and the wind was still violent.

"We have to calm him down!" Suki cried. "If we don't calm him down soon, we're all gonna get blown into the walls or crushed to death by rocks!"

As if on cue, a large piece of earth landed just behind her, causing her to jump.

"How do we calm him down?!" Windu shouted.

"Sokka!" Ty Lee called. "You're pretty much family to him! Talk to him! He's known you longest – if anyone can calm him down, it'll be you!"

The Water Tribe man ogled at the acrobat for a moment before nodding. "Ok, I'll try!"

Suki stood up with him and together, they edged their way towards Aang. The others remained in a huddle over Mai's body.

"Is she still alive?" Ty Lee asked, her voice choking her.

Zuko frowned and put two fingers to her neck. On feeling the faintness of her pulse, he cringed.

"She is, but only just. I don't think she'll be with us much longer..." He did not attempt to shout it over the wind, but Ty Lee caught every word of it. Her heart fell and Windu put a hand on her back. She turned to face him and pressed her face against his chest as she started sobbing.

"If we can keep her warm, maybe she'll last a little longer," Windu suggested. "Maybe it'll be long enough to get us all out of here and get her to help. She's more likely to die from shock than from blood-loss from the looks of it."

He may have only been saying it for Ty Lee's sake, just to give her a bit of hope, as false as it may have been. But it brought himself and Zuko a little bit of comfort too and Zuko removed his outer robe and wrapped it around her gently, keeping her cradled in his arms.

Sokka got as close to Aang as he could.

"Sokka, stop," Suki shouted. "Any closer and he might hurt you!"

"He's one of my best friends, Suki! I gotta do this as best I can!" He looked his wife in the eye and gave her a quirky half smile, "Stay here." He turned and moved a little bit closer to Aang.

Suki hesitated a moment but managed to resist to urge to continue to follow him. If Sokka wanted her to stay where she was, it was probably for the best.

"Aang!" Sokka shouted over the wind. "Aang! Buddy listen to me! We're safe! You did it – you saved us!!! Now you gotta calm down!" He was in arms reach of the boy and he reached out and grasped his arm, as daring as it was. Aang turned to him with glowing eyes and a frowning face, but Sokka would not step back or let go of him. He was afraid, but he would be strong for his friend. "Aang, we still need your help! But you can only keep helping us if you calm down!"

After a moment, the wind began to calm down. It became more gentle – more like a breeze than a hurricane. The frown on Aang's face melted away and his features relaxed. His expression became vacant as he stared blankly back at Sokka. The Water Tribesman felt relief flood him, but Aang's eyes and tattoos did not stop glowing.

Aang stepped forward and Sokka let go of him and let him pass. He walked passed Suki too and they watched him go. Zuko, Ty Lee and Windu looked up as he walked towards them and he stopped in front of them and looked down at Mai's limp body.

His friends watched him intently as he lifted his hands out in front of him and made a gentle swaying motion with them. Water from the air began to gather around his hands and follow his hand movements and soon he was holding a large glowing ball, much resembling the healing water Katara often used. Aang bent down next to Mai and let the water spread out over her body.

* * *

Mai's spirit became more and more transparent to Azula and the others as Aang healed her body. She turned back into shapeless mist and disappeared back down the well, back into the human world.

Azula watched what happened below them with wide eyes filled with amazement. Slowly, a smile spread across her lips.

"Everything is going to be alright."

She felt her mother's hand on her shoulder and she relaxed. Yue smiled too.

* * *

As the wounds on Mai's body from where the rocks had pierced her closed up, the others watched in relief. Thankful eyes stared up at Aang and teary smiles flashed his way.

"Oh Aang..." Ty Lee whispered gratefully.

When the healing was complete, the water evaporated back into the air and the glow of Aang's tattoos and eyes dulled away. The boy swayed on his feet as he left the Avatar State and he fell unconscious with a small groan of exhaustion. Sokka caught him before he could hit the floor and held on to his friend. Mai was still unconscious too, but as Zuko put his fingers against her neck again, he smiled.

"She's better than she was two minutes ago..." he whispered.

Ty Lee smiled tightly at him, "Thank goodness..."

They all exchanged smiles of relief and joy. They were safe.  
Suki suddenly gasped, clutching a hand over her stomach.

"What's wrong?!" Sokka said, his voice rising a pitch.

"Oh..." She giggled at him. "Calm down Sokka. Just pregnancy pains..."

"Oh Spirits! All of this excitement can_not_ be good for our baby!"

Ty Lee and Windu started laughing. Zuko shook his head and Suki rolled her eyes.

"Oh Sokka..."

"Let's get out of here before something else happens..." he sighed.

Sokka carried Aang and Zuko carried Mai. Windu led the way back to their exit and they helped each other get back out. Appa was waiting for them, right where they had left him, Momo, Katara and Toph still in his saddle.

* * *

**Ok guys! There you go – a nice long chapter from me! :D I am really sorry it took me so long to write all of this and get it posted! I also apologize for any typos of grammatical errors – most of this was done late at night. **

**Guys! There are only a couple more chapters to go for this story! I'm really excited to get them written and hopefully they won't take quit so long to write this time! **

**Anyway, I need three (3) or more reviews before I can update! So keep that in mind and make sure you review!!!!! Love you guys lots :D So leave a review and tell me what you thought of this chapter ;) **

**GO! **


	24. A Night up in the Saddle

**Sorry this one took a little while to get up – I blame my internet for cracking a spastic! But here she is! :D I hope you like it and there is only one more chapter before the end of the story. :) AND IT IS ALREADY WRITTEN, SO HURRY UP AND REVIEW SO I CAN POST IT!!! Remember, I need three (3) reviews, or else I cannot update!  
**

**Read, review and enjoy! **

* * *

**24. A Night up in the Saddle**

Sokka got Appa into the air once everybody was back in the saddle again and pointed him homeward. He joined the others back inside the saddle as they ascended and wrapped his arms around Suki as she leaned into him. Gently, she popped her head beneath his chin and they both smiled, their hands rubbing slow little circles on her belly.

Katara stirred a little, somewhere between unconscious and awake. Toph groaned and rolled over, cringing just a little in pain – there must still have been a few things that Katara hadn't quite been able to heal. Zuko sat between them, eyeing them both with a hint of worry.

Aang was laid out in front of Windu and Ty Lee. Momo had retreated to Ty Lee's warm lap and gentle stroking again and was purring quietly where he snoozed. She had a content smile across her lips and Windu kept glancing at her out of the corner of his eyes.

Next to Windu, there was Mai. And he was glancing between the two girls constantly. Every time he looked at Mai, he was hit with a wave of guilt. This was his fault – he had caused _all _of this. And it had all started with hurting Mai...

He shook his head and sighed heavily, looking off into the distant clouds that were surrounding them. A shiver ran up his spine and he felt himself curl up a bit. Ty Lee looked at his face and smiled.

"Are you cold?" she asked.

"Just a little."

That sweet innocent smile still plastered to that childish face of hers, she moved closer to him so that the side of their bodies were touching and she half spread Momo into his lap too. Windu smiled down at the little creature and chuckled, feeling a little better knowing that no one seemed to be holding what happened against him.

* * *

"Zuko."

The Fire Lord looked up from his wife's face. Sokka was leaning across the saddle, whispering to him. Suki had fallen asleep and was curled up in the corner. Sokka moved around so that he was sitting next to his brother-in-law before he continued.

"I'm sorry."

Zuko frowned at him, "For what?"

"For being a jerk to you," he explained. Zuko's eyebrows rose a little in surprise, then Sokka continued. "I said some pretty horrible things to you when this all happened and I shouldn't have. I jumped to conclusions because I was angry and thought that you'd cheated on my sister. And I shouldn't have."  
"Sokka, it's –"

"No, no, let me finish!" he insisted. Zuko pressed his lips back together and smiled a little, nodding for Sokka to continue. "Listen, I love my baby sister more than my whole world. The only person I'd have trouble choosing her between would have to be Suki." He took a deep breath and sighed, looking at his own hands, folded in his lap. "All I want is for her to be happy and safe." He looked up to catch Zuko's eyes. "I trust _you_ to keep her happy and safe. She _wants_ to be happy and safe with you. So promise me... promise me you'll make sure she always is."

Zuko kept a solemn face as he nodded to the Water Tribe warrior. "I will always love your sister, Sokka. And as long as I love her, I will do everything possible to make her happy and keep her safe. I love her – more than my own life. I'll die for her if I have to."

Slowly, a smile spread over Sokka's face. "Good," he whispered.

Then, he began to make his way back over to where Suki was, curled up in her corner. Zuko smiled after him.

"Oh, and Zuko."

"Yes?"

Sokka turned to face him again, "Thank you. For helping me get her back, I mean."

The Fire Lord tossed his head and smiled. "No, Sokka. Thank _you_."

They smiled at each other, once again happy with having each other as both friends and brothers.

Sokka curled up next to Suki and they kept each other warm. Ty Lee and Windu had already fallen asleep with their heads on each other's shoulders. Smiling, Zuko spread his robe over the top of Toph, Katara, Mai and Aang and stayed up on his own all night, watching over all of them.

* * *

Zuko's eyes began to droop shut as the first light touched the sky. But as he began to doze off, he heard someone stirring and opened his eyes again. Looking up at him with misty green, unseeing eyes, there was Toph. At first her expression was blank with a small frown of confusion as she tried to decipher all the blurred shapes and outlines that were so unclear to her without solid ground beneath her.

"Toph?" he said gently.

She smiled at the sound of his voice and breathed a sigh of relief as he became clear in her vision. "I kept my promise, Zuko..." she whispered.

A small smile crept to his lips. "I know you did. But please, never come that close to breaking it again."

She gave a small chuckle as she made herself comfortable and curled up under Zuko's robe to keep warm next to Katara.

"Did everyone get out safely?" she asked.

He nodded, "Yes."

She smiled, "Good." And with that, she shut her eyes and drifted off again.

Zuko watched her for a moment longer before Appa let out a long, low groan. The Fire Lord climbed onto the bison's head and gave him a pat before he directed him to a patch of land in the middle of the forest where he could rest. He landed gently and settled down on the ground. Appa and Zuko were both asleep a few minutes later.

* * *

Momo was the first one to wake up – he had slept soundly, comfortably and warmly spread across Ty Lee and Windu's lap and was full of energy. The lemur jittered and flapped around the saddle, jumping on people and startling them awake, each of them giving a groan or yelp as they rose.

Aang held on to the small creature when it landed on his lap again after he'd sat up. He looked at Momo in confusion at first, not quite sure where he was or what was happening. Then all of the memories came flooding back to him and he clutched the lemur tightly, feeling a bit more lightheaded than he already had.

"Aang, you're awake!" Suki said happily upon seeing him.

He smiled weakly at her, "Yea... I guess I am." Momo snuggled into his chest and nuzzled him affectionately. Aang smiled down and scratched him gently behind the ears.

Sokka, Zuko, Ty Lee and Windu sat up and looked at him too.

"How are you feeling?" Ty Lee asked anxiously, leaning towards him.

Aang clutched his head and groaned a little, "A little dizzy and disorientated... but better than I've felt in a while."

"I'll bet that it's nice to be getting some fresh air again," Windu joked lightly.

"You have no idea..." Aang sighed, chuckling. "Did everyone get out safely?"

"Yes! Well, actually, um..." Sokka rethought his words as he looked over Toph, Katara and Mai.

"We had a few casualties, but we all survived," Suki said for him.

"Just," Zuko added, only to receive a harsh glare from her.

Aang's face saddened, "This is all my fault."

They gawked at him for a moment, "Don't say that, Aang! You couldn't have prevented this – none of us could have! It was all one big fat accident – I giant misunderstanding!" Ty Lee insisted.

"She's right, Aang," Sokka agreed.

"The people to blame for this are Long Feng and that Shang person," said Suki.

"And me..." Windu whispered, head hanging.

"No... as much as we wanted to blame you earlier, it wasn't your fault either, Windu," Sokka said gently to his fellow tribesman. "You were hypnotized – it would be unfair to hold you accountable for your own actions."

"But I wouldn't have been such an easy target to use if I hadn't liked Katara so much!"

"What?" Zuko said, raising his eyebrow.

Windu shifted uncomfortably where he sat as all eyes turned to him. "On Katara's way back down south after the war had been won, she and I got talking and I ended up fancying her... a lot." Zuko and Sokka swapped a look. "I just feel that... if it weren't for that, maybe I wouldn't have ended up hypnotized, and then none of this would have happened."

There was a tense, awkward silence over the group for a little while and they all stared intently at their hands. Then, Suki spoke up again.

"The Dai Li are powerful – I think that the fact that you were into Katara when they picked you to be their tool was a mere coincidence. How could they have known? They would have hypnotized you to do their will anyway. Windu, you were just as vulnerable as any other man and it wasn't your fault."

Everyone looked at her for a moment except for Windu, who kept frowning down at his hands, guilt depriving him of words.  
"She's right," Zuko said slowly. "We won't hold what happened against you."

Biting his lip, he looked up and looked at them all, "Thanks guys... it means a lot to me."

A moment later, Sokka sighed and stood up, "Well, I think we ought to keep moving. Who brought Appa down anyway? Or did he land on his own."

"I brought him down, just before sunrise," Zuko admitted.

Sokka nodded and jumped onto the bison's head.

"Yip-yip," he said gently after the beast was awake. Then, Appa stood, shook himself and took off into the air. Sokka directed him towards Imperial City and the palace before he came to sit in the saddle again.

"Um... Your Majesty?" Windu started timidly, moving over to sit beside Zuko.

"You can call me Zuko..."

"Right um... look, I just wanted to make it clear... Katara is your wife and I'm not gonna touch her. And just for the record, I think another girl might have caught my eye, so..."

"Windu," he said, smirking. "We're cool." He extended his hand and, with a smirk of his own, Windu shook it, relieved that there wasn't any tension between them.

* * *

**So that's that chapter! There is going to be either one or two more following it before the story comes to an end. We'll see! But remember guys, I need three (3) signed reviews for this chapter, asap, or else I'm not going to be able to update! So remember to review! Tell me what you thought – what you enjoyed, quote your favourite line, what you didn't like, etc etc. Go! **

**And join Team Zutara if you haven't already – we are over 80 members now! Let's see if we can get to 100 before year's end! Spread the word, my minions! Spread the word!!!!!!!**

**Review!!!!**


	25. Epilogue: The Last Few Months

**And ta-da! Here is the last chapter! ^_^ Or the epilogue... whichever you prefer. :D Thank you to everyone who reviewed and I hope to see your reviews at the end of this chapter too. **

**Read, review and ENJOY THE LAST CHAPTER OF BENEATH THE EARTH!!!**

**

* * *

Epilogue: The Last Few Months **

As Katara began to regain consciousness properly at last, she could hear voices; people moving around her. She was lying on her back on something very soft and warm and there was a blanket over her. She felt very comfortable, but at the same time, very stiff. But for the first time in a little while, she felt safe.

A warm hand pressed against her forehead and left her skin tingling and as she took in a deep breath, she knew that hand must have belonged to Zuko. She could smell him there and feel his presence, still somewhere nearby.

"Is that a sufficient amount of gold for you?" she heard his voice.

A familiar woman's voice chuckled, "It's perfect. Thank you, Your Majesty," the voice said with a slight mock to it. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you."

"Thanks for helping; we couldn't have found them without you."

There was a moment of silence where Katara imagined whoever the woman was must have just shrugged silently. "All in a day's work. Come on, Kalo."

"See you round," an unrecognizable male's voice said.

"Goodbye."

Two pairs of footsteps grew fainter and fainter and disappeared after the sound of a closing door.

"That Kalo guy still creeps me out," Toph's voice said. Though her voice sound weak, Katara's heart skipped a beat with joy and relief.

"Ssh! He might still be able to hear you!" Sokka whisper-yelled.

"I am sure he would understand, Sokka," said Iroh's voice.

"I'm sure he gets it all the time..." There was her father's voice.

A few people around the room chuckled and Katara felt Zuko's hand find hers and hold on to it. He rubbed little circles onto the back of her hand with his thumb and her heart pumped with excitement. She wanted to spring up and pull him into her arms and hold on to him forever. But there was no way she had that type of energy at that moment.

At last, she managed to open her eyes. And sure enough, there he was, sitting at her bedside. Though he was holding her hand, he was not looking at her at that moment – his eyes were fixed on someone on the other side of the room who was talking to him.

"I'm just glad that someone was able to help us find them," said Suki.

"Yea, if Jun hadn't helped us out, we would probably still be on a wild and unsuccessful goose-frog-chase," Zuko said, the corner of his mouth twitching up slightly.

Seeing his face again... Katara couldn't stop the smile of joy that spread across her face, lighting up her eyes and making her blush just that little bit. She looked around the room a bit – it was a large room with a row of beds along either wall. She was lying in one of them and she could also see Mai lying motionless in one. Toph and Aang had one each too but they were sitting up in theirs. Zuko, Sokka, Suki, Ty Lee, Iroh and Hakoda were all standing or sitting at certain places in the room.

"Hopefully, we won't need any help like that again," Sokka said. "Hopefully, things will not get tough again and no one will get kidnapped or disappear or anything. Ever again. And we can all just relax now."

"Life isn't perfect, sweetie," Suki sighed.

"Well it should be!"

"You're only saying that because your dad grounded you for back-chatting."

"And for swearing," Hakoda added. "His punishment will do him a world of good."

"Seriously, I can't believe you grounded me, Dad, I'm a full-grown, married man!"

"Guys, can we _not_ have this argument again? Please?" Ty Lee cut in.

"Yea, as entertaining as it was last time, we're sort of trying to recover here and you giving us headaches with that stuff isn't going to help," Toph said.

Katara smiled, "Looks like I missed out on a fair bit then."

All eyes swiveled to look at her.

"Katara!"

"You're awake!"

"How are you feeling?"

She pulled her hand gently out of Zuko's and slowly sat herself up, screwing up her face as her stiff and aching joints and muscles protested. Zuko fixed the pillow behind her so that she could lean back on it and then took both of her hands in his again. They smiled lovingly at each other.

"I'm feeling fine," she promised, speaking directly to her husband. "I'm just a little tired and stiff. No harm done."

Zuko pressed his lips against her back of her hands and then laced his fingers with hers properly, kissing the tips of each of her fingers.

"What you did was amazing, Katara," Ty Lee enthused. "We thought there was no way Toph would be able to pull through – but you saved her!"

The waterbender smiled at her friend and then let her eyes travel over to where Toph was sitting up in her bed. The earthbender smiled blindly back at her and made the peace sign with her fingers.

"Seriously, Katara, I owe you my life," Toph smirked. "Thank you."

"It was no problem," Katara shrugged, trying to be modest although she knew that what she had done was truly amazing. "It was the least I could do after you guys came to rescue me and Mai."

On mentioning the other girl's name, everybody looked to the bed next to Katara's. The girl still hadn't moved or awoken and Katara frowned in disapproval to her lifelessness.

"What happened to her?" she asked, a little afraid of what might be revealed.

Everyone shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

"She saved me," Zuko murmured. "She saved my life and nearly lost hers."

"Aang was in the Avatar State soon after and managed to stop her from dying, but... she isn't showing any signs of planning to wake up any time soon," Sokka said.

"She got hurt worse than _I_ did," Toph added.

Katara frowned, eyeing Mai.

"The main thing is, we _did_ all get out of there alive. And I think we can all safely say that none of us are going to die any time soon – everyone who got hurt is in a stable condition at the very least and Mai's the only one who hasn't actually woken up yet," Suki said.

"The doctors have said she may not wake up for a long time. She's in a perfectly stable condition, but she's not well enough to wake up yet. Her body needs time to recover and she also needs to recover mentally and emotionally. What happened to her was a little more severe and complicated than what happened to anyone else," Zuko said.

"But she will be alright in the end, won't she?" Katara urged.

Zuko nodded quickly, "Yes, as long as we make sure we keep taking care of her. She'll pull through."

Katara looked back over to Mai, "Good."

* * *

Later that day, after the doctors have given Katara a check up and assured her that both she and her baby were in good health, she was allowed to leave the built-in hospital and go to other parts of the palace. She'd have to return there once more later that day, just before dinner, just so that the doctors could be certain she was alright. But she could sleep in her own bed with Zuko that night. Toph and Aang, however, would be required to stay there longer. The doctors wanted to be sure that all of the drugs the Dai Li had used on Aang were out of his system and that he was being properly fed and nourished and in good physical condition before they released him – that would take a couple more days. Toph's body was still in shock from what had happened to her, but she would probably be released at the same time as Aang as long as she kept getting better.

Mai, on the other hand, would be transferred to the real hospital if her condition worsened. She would otherwise stay where she was in the palace medical facility until she was awake and the doctors had decided she was well enough to leave.

On the brighter side of things, both Katara and Suki were nearing the five month mark of their pregnancies. The doctors assured both them and their husbands that the babies they carried were perfectly healthy.

With things looking up, they all found means to be happy. Even Ty Lee relaxed and was assured that Mai would make a good recovery in due time. She, on the other hand, had a little issue of her own in her hands...

"So, you ran away to join the circus huh?" Windu chuckled as she showed off her balancing skills along one of the balconies.

"Mhm, it was one of the best things I ever did. It was so much fun!" she said cheerily, standing on her hands.

Windu shifted uncomfortably, a little afraid of what might happen if she lost her balance for even a second.

"Are you sure it's safe for you to do this here? I mean... it's an awful long way down..."

Ty Lee giggled, "Don't be silly – I've done this sort of stuff for years and even if I did fall, I'd mostly likely be able to find something to grab on to or do _something_ to make sure I didn't hurt myself. I'm a professional!"

Windu laughed nervously, subconsciously inching a little closer so he could catch her, just in case...

"I'll be fine, Windu," she smiled at him, up-side-down.

But just to spare him a heart attack, she flipped herself back over to the safe side of the balcony and then leaned herself against it, smiling at him with her bright, childish eyes.

"You're cute," she said simply.

"Um... thanks," he grinned, leaning against the railing of the balcony next to her.

They looked each other up and down for a moment before they slowly leaned in and closed their eyes...

* * *

Gran-Gran stayed in the Fire Nation, even after Hakoda and the others of the Southern Water Tribe and Kyoshi Island returned home. Until the Chief of the South or the Chief of Kyoshi passed on, Sokka and Suki would remain in the Fire Nation as well. Gran-Gran was glad that she would be present for the birth and growth of her great-grandchildren.

Zuko, Katara, Sokka and Suki all helped each other with decorating a single room which their children would share in the palace once they were old enough not to have to sleep with their parents. Aang even insisted on pitching in and by the end of the sixth month of Katara and Suki's pregnancies, the room was painted, each wall a different colour – red, green, blue, and orange – and there were little pictures of stars, moons, suns, lemurs and bison all over the ceiling. It would be a perfect little sanctuary for their children to grow up in.

As the seventh months came into being, Gran-Gran took the girls shopping for baby clothes.

"You know, Katara, this reminds me of when your mother was pregnant with you and with Sokka – we didn't have such a big market down South, but preparing for the arrivals of you little wonders was still just as exciting!"

Katara laughed, "I'm beginning to understand what you mean, Gran-Gran."

"I'm really excited to! Oh, I can't wait to be a mother!" Suki grinned.

"But don't be too blinded by your excitement girls – being a mother is a lot of tough work."

"Yea, we'll have to be up in the middle of the night to feed them and change them... and we need to feed them and change them anyway!" Katara said.

Suki snorted, "I can imagine what Sokka's face will be like when I get him to change her."

"Her?" Katara raised her eyebrows.

Suki smiled, "I can just feel it in my gut – it's going to be a girl!"

"Really?" Katara smiled. "Ha, I wouldn't have a clue if I'm having a girl or a boy."

"I think it's a boy," Gran-Gran and Suki said in union.

They all glanced at each other in shock and burst out laughing.

* * *

She found him in the hospital, standing next to Mai's bed, just watching her.

"Honey?" she said gently, walking up behind him. "Are you ok?"

Zuko turned to look at Katara. His hard expression softened at the sight of her face and he smiled lopsidedly at her.

"I'm fine," he whispered in an assuring tone.

She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest. He held her close to him and breathed in the scent of her hair.

"I'm just worried about her."

"I know," Katara said softly. "It's ok."

"You've done a bit of checking up on her yourself, haven't you?" he asked. Katara nodded. "What do you think? Do you think she'll be ok?"

"It's like the doctors said – she is ok. But... I don't think she's going to wake up for a while. She got hurt pretty badly, Zuko."

Zuko's face contorted for a moment and he took a deep breath to compose himself.

"Zuko? Are you sure you're ok? Do you want to talk about it?"

"This is all my fault!" he yelled suddenly. He clapped his hands back over his mouth to suppress any other outbursts and then let Katara pull him into her arms again. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell."

"It's alright – you're just upset. But listen to me, Zuko," she said. "What happened was not your fault. We've had this conversation before – you can't keep putting the blame on yourself. The situation was out of your hands."

"If I'd just been more careful..." He looked back at Mai's still body.

"Well you weren't, and what happen has happened. We can't turn back time, honey. What happened, happened and we can't take it back. But that's life – and you weren't to blame for any of what happened."

His eyes were still cold; she could tell that he still held himself responsible to some extent. She held both of his hands in both of hers and pressed them against her stomach. Upon feeling the kick of the child, he couldn't help but smile and let his tense body relax.

"You're going to be a father soon," Katara whispered. "You and me... we're going to have a baby. This kid is going to look up to the both of us and we need to show it how to handle things like making a mistake or getting caught up in a sticky situation. Zuko, listen, even if it was your fault, you need to learn to forgive yourself and let go of what happened."

"I know..." he murmured.

"Sooner or later, Mai _will_ wake up. And she's not going to hold what happened against you." Zuko looked back at the girl lying in the bed and Katara kept talking. "It was her choice to save you, Zuko. She would have happily given her life up for you. She loves you, Zuko, and she knows that you love me and we're together and all that really matters to her now is that you end up happy – that's why she did it. She saved you so that you could be happy."

He was silent for a moment. He whispered, "I know," and then turned his gaze back to Katara's deep blue eyes. "And I'm grateful."

They smiled at each other and Zuko leaned down to kiss her on the top of the head. She closed her eyes and sighed.

She pulled away gently after a few seconds. "I need to go and eat something... I'm starving and Suki and I had agreed on a little mother's club between the two of us and Gran-Gran, so I'd better be off. Don't get lost on your way back to the bedroom," she winked, giggling. "I'll be there later."

She turned to walk away and he caught her wrist gently in his hand and pulled her around to face him again, "Katara, I love you."

She smiled, "I love you too, Zuko."

"And... whether any of it was my fault or not, I'm sorry... for everything."

She sighed and stepped in to hug him again, "So am I."

She kissed his lips once more and they held on a moment longer. Then she pulled away again and quietly walked away. He watched her go, longing in his eyes and a faint smile caressing his lips.

"Chin up, Zuko," Toph smirked, stepping in to take Katara's place. "Everything's going to start looking up from here."

He chuckled, "I know, Toph."

The blind earthbender stood next to him and punched him in the arm.

"Ow..." He punched her back.

They smirked at each other, then...

"I'm bored... go make me a sandwich, kitchen bitch."

Zuko sighed and snorted at the sarcasm in her voice. "_Fine!_"

* * *

And so life in the mortal world went on, Ursa, Yue and Azula watching over their loved ones all the while.

Yue sighed, "I love happy endings."

Azula shook her head, "It's not the end. They've still got their whole lives ahead of them. And... Shang is still somewhere out there."

Yue frowned, "What do you think will become of this then?"

"Is it over yet?" Azula asked her mother, though she already knew the answer.

"Now quite..."

Wish a gentle swish of her hand over the surface of the water in the well, Ursa made the image change.

* * *

Shang walked silently through a row of prison cells with his hood pulled over his head. He did not stop until he was standing in front of the only occupied cell there, and then he turned sharply on his heals to look upon the prisoner – an elderly woman with grey hair, tied with her arms and legs behind her. She looked worse for wear.

"You are Hama, the waterbender who was last taken from the Southern Water Tribe and said to be the last waterbender from down there until the girl, Katara, was born?"

"That is me," she answered glumly, eyeing him carefully.

"I think it's about time you got out of here and got revenge on the people who put you in here. Do you know of Koh, the Face Stealer?"

She nodded, "I'm listening…"

_**To be continued...**_

* * *

**Woot! End of this one :) So drop a review, tell me what you thought – I mean seriously, don't you just wanna scream at me for leaving you with another cliff-hanger?! :D I'm so horrible. **

**Ok, so you all remember how there was a few months gap between the end of Behind the Lies and the start of this? Well, that's probably going to happen again because I have my schoolwork piling up on me which is preventing me from writing – I was actually supposed to be doing homework when I wrote this chapter and the last one. Also, I don't want to end up getting bored of the story line, so who knows, maybe you'll see another unrelated fic go up... but no promises, as I said, school :P **

**And just for those of you who either wanna stalk me/keep in touch with me while I'm not on FF, here are a couple of other random place you can find me:**

**www(dot)fictionpress(dot)com/u/657750/**

**appa-appa-away(dot)deviantart(dot)com/**

**show-me-the-light(dot)blogspot(dot)com/**

**Yea, they're also on my profile page :) So check em out and leave me reviews and comments and shit like that – it's allllll me :D **

**Once again A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED THIS STORY!!!! I LOVE YOU GUYS LOTSMS AND LOTSMS AND I HOPE TO SEE A REVIEW FROM YOU ALL AT THE END OF THIS ONE AND I HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN NEXT SEQUEL! **

**ZUTARA FOREVER!!!!**

**XD**

**A~A~A **

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**


End file.
